HELP IS AVAILABLE

People move to the foothills and mountains of the Sierra Nevada for many reasons, probably as many reasons as there are people here.

My story: I just happened to be dragged along by my parents when we moved to North Fork in l947. A good move. The mountains have been special to me ever since.

What was your reason or story?

Maybe it is the beauty, maybe retirement, maybe you were born here, maybe to escape the suburbs, maybe it is because there are fewer people, maybe independence, maybe…

Although our stories differ, wherever we came from, here we are, together.

There’s a cliché heard a lot these last few years. “We’re all in this together,” it goes, referring to one catastrophe after another. But we do not, generally speaking, agree on much.

I was not seeking agreement, when we moved to Miramonte 23 years ago. Actually, quite the contrary.

I love the differences in opinion, the stories, the hills and mountains.

On the other hand, whatever your reasons for living here, none of us moved up here for the fires that are increasing in number, severity and unpredictability.

WE HAVE THAT IN COMMON. Where we choose to live has, it seems, created a stronger need to work together as much as possible to make our community more fire safe. There are already people helping their neighbors in preparing against fire. This is the spirit I believe in.

Let me paint an alternate picture for your consideration: “I can take care of myself, my property. Why do I need to work with others to make me fire safe?”

Even if you have made your home fire safe, if the fire roars through our area and your home survives, what is left? Not much, probably. A castle surrounded by ashes. Certainly fewer trees. Think of Paradise, CA. Let me suggest, it is not appealing, unless you like the color of char. We are all connected.

Could anything have been done by “the community” or “the neighborhood” to have made the overall damage less, more to return to? I believe so.

There are many here who have concluded that the more people involved in making our neighborhoods and communities fire safe, the better.

And yet there are still those who live in isolated areas, or are older, or for other reasons may need help creating a defensible space around their home.

ADDITIONAL HELP IS AVAILABLE, IF NECESSARY. We are not alone.

To get that help is not hard.

A community response to fight this heightened fire danger was the revitalization in 2015 of the Oak to Timberline Fire Safe Council (OTFSC).

One major objective of OTFSC is to reach out with work parties to assist those who need help clearing around their home, weed eating, cutting and chipping brush, pruning low hanging trees.

If you know an OTFSC member, talk with them. Otherwise, go to the new OTFSC website: oaktotimberline.org and click on the “Contact” heading, which brings up a form to fill out that will reach a fire safe council Board member who can arrange that work party with you. It’s that simple

YOUR FIRE SAFETY IS MY FIRE SAFETY

MY FIRE SAFETY IS YOUR FIRE SAFETY