Fire and Forest

Fire & Forest: Lessons from 2015 fire season …
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Fire & Forest: Lessons from 2015 fire season …

At several of this summer’s larger vegetation fires, the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council was represented. MCFSC Vice President Norm Walker was assigned as incident commander of So Cal Team 1, one of the Fire Management Teams are activated during major fires. Norm has had a 36-year career with the U.S. Forest Service as a…

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Fire & Forest: Thoughts about fire abatement and drought …

A few months back at a Mountain communities Fire Safe Council board meeting, we discussed putting together some questions to present to our local government forester. We titled this  document, “Questions to Shape Education.” The thought was to obtain answers on the correlation between the continuing drought and maintaining a healthy forest. Below are our…

Fire and Forest: Rainfall is unpredictable; fire abatement constant …

Fire and Forest: Rainfall is unpredictable; fire abatement constant …

By Chris Kramer Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council President A couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed a weekend rain, a nice change from our dry year thus far. Plants and trees always seem to perk up after a good soaking. As I write this, the forecast is a chance of thunderstorms and rain for the…

Fire and Forest: How do we compare to other forest areas? …

Fire and Forest: How do we compare to other forest areas? …

How many of us have visited a forest outside of Southern California? Many of these have amenities very similar to ours: campgrounds, hiking trails, lakes and streams, just to name a few. Most all encourage public use for recreational activities by providing access to many areas through both paved and dirt roads that traverse even…

Fire and Forest: Buy local firewood — keep pests off the Hill …
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Fire and Forest: Buy local firewood — keep pests off the Hill …

Around the house we can always find pests that are more of a nuisance in our everyday lives than they are damaging — irritants like ants on the kitchen counter, cobwebs in the corners, flies and even that moth flying around the dinner table light at night. No harm is done. We live with them…

Fire & Forest: Fire abatement protects your home …

I am asking board members to write on various topics for this column. Doris Lombard has timely information and thoughts on maintaining defensible space. Here are her ideas and suggestions: The big lesson of the 2013 Mountain Fire is burned into my mind — a life-threatening, property-destroying fire can happen any time on our mountain….

Fire and Forest: Hot-button issues & the code committee …
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Fire and Forest: Hot-button issues & the code committee …

Readers of the Town Crier will know there have been letters critical of the new code committee and of the role the Mountain Communities Fire Safe Council had in bringing it about. The letters either state or imply that both groups are up to no good. I think it is fair to say the formation…

Fire and Forest: Many thanks to boards …
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Fire and Forest: Many thanks to boards …

Recently, as a board was wrapping up business for the year, I felt a deep appreciation for everyone at the table. They are all volunteers, donating their time and energy to make sure the organization is on the right track. They ensure that policies are consistent with the mission, and that budgets and balance sheets…