December 2024 Newsletter

Hello Neighbors…

We have a short newsletter for you this month, given the busy holiday season and the fact that fire season is most definitely over in our area. As I write this, the wind is howling and the rain is piling up. Thankfully there have been only minor power outages. Visit Nevada County Office of Emergency Services (OES) Winter Storm Preparedness page for great information on how to be ready for the cold, rainy, windy, snowy season.

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Reminders and Announcements

• Fundraising Update and Matching Donation. As of November 26, we had received $13,325 this year (plus last year’s total of $10,648) for key repairs and improvements to Lost Lake Rd. We still have the (up to) $10,000 match for additional donations made between November 1 and December 25. Unfortunately, it appears that the post office lost the postcard we sent in early December to all residents to publicize this match (we only have emails for a small percentage of residents). So please spread the word to your neighbors. Any amount helps, and the impact will be doubled! See our website for information on how to make a tax deductible donation by mail or on line.

• Free Prescribed Burning Classes. While it’s currently too wet for broadcast burning, the Nevada County Resource Conservation District has a whole slate of free classes available (some in the classroom, some in the field) in the first quarter of 2025 to help you prepare for potential winter and spring burns.

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Holiday Fire Safety

December is a month of celebrations and colder weather. We enjoy decorating our homes, cooking for family and friends, and more. Festive celebrations, candles and lights, and winter greens are hallmarks of this time of year.

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Have a safe holiday season by following smart practices with your lights, candles, cooking, and trees/garlands. Here are a few key tips, and some resources where you can find out more.

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• Check lights for loose bulbs and damaged wires, avoid overloading circuits, and turn lights off before leaving the house or turning in for the night. 13 Safety Tips for Christmas Lights (Family Handyman)

• Keep candles at least 12 inches away from flammable items or use flameless candles. Deck the Halls With Fire Safety (short video from the National Fire Protection Association: NFPA)

• Keep your tree watered and remove your tree or garlands from the house when they become dry. This video shows how much faster a dry tree burns. Christmas Tree Fire Turns Deadly Within Seconds (NFPA).

• Practice fire safe cooking: Stay in the kitchen, keep flammable items such as oven mitts away from the stove, be extra careful with hot oil, and have a lid or emergency fire blanket available if you need to smother a grease fire. (Cooking Safety, NFPA)

Community Fire Safety Resources

These organizations are your best sources for detailed information about defensible space, home hardening, safe evacuation and more.

• Greenhorn Firewise Community: That’s us! Our mission, as volunteers living in this neighborhood, is “to educate all homeowners on hardening their homes and creating defensible space to survive wildfire.” www.greenhornfirewise.org

• Nevada County Coalition of Firewise Communities “is an all-volunteer organization that supports the representatives and residents of about 100 Firewise Communities in Nevada County.” Their website is a wealth of information, especially their Education Resources page.

• Nevada County Office of Emergency Services “is responsible for coordinating with County departments, local cities, and special districts to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to, and recover from disasters.” www.readynevadacounty.org

• Fire Safe Council of Nevada County “coordinates with Firewise USA, which provides a framework to help neighbors get organized, find direction and take action to increase the ignition resistance of their homes and community.” They also provide community programs such as free or low cost chipping, and reflective address signs. https://www.areyousafe.com

Fire Safety Abbreviations

You may run into the following abbreviations in your reading—here’s what they mean!

• DSAV: Defensible Space Advisory Visit

• FSC: Fire Safe Council

• FWC: Firewise Community

• GFC: Greenhorn Firewise Community

• NCCFC: Nevada County Coalition of Firewise Communities

• NCSO: Nevada County Sheriff’s Office

• NFPA: National Fire Prevention Association (Certifies Firewise Communities)

• OES: Office of Emergency Services