Meeting Agenda

NC Coalition of Firewise Communities  

 Tuesday May 7, 5:30 p.m. 

Esterly Hall, 330 Crown Point Circle, Grass Valley
Easy access, easy parking

FWC leaders are urged to attend in person if at all possible.


Agency Partner Reports:

  • CAL FIRE
  • Consolidated – Fire Marshal
  • OES
  • FireSafe Council including Firewise Festival

PROGRAM/SPEAKER TBD


Sign up for our mailing list here to receive information on future meetings and occasional other announcements.

Here is our archive of video recordings of our monthly meetings, listing the topics presented with hotlinks to jump to each program speaker.


Acronym Key - What does THAT mean?

  • AB38: state law requiring homes for sale to be inspected for defensible space disclosure
  • BLM - Bureau of Land Management
  • CO 2477 (formerly CO 2463) - County Hazardous Vegetation Ordinance (right to extend 100 feet beyond property line & rural road rules 10-10-15)
  • Cal Fire - California State Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
  • DSAV - Defensible Space Advisory Visit (free, from a trained Fire Safe Council volunteer)
  • DSI - Defensible Space Inspector - County employee empowered to enforce codes
  • EQIP - Environmental Quality Incentives Program
  • FWC - Firewise Community
  • FSC - Fire Safe Council
  • IC - Incident Commander
  • ICP - Incident Command Post
  • LTO - Licensed Timber Operator
  • NCCFWC - Nevada County Coalition of Firewise Communities
  • NCSO - Nevada County Sheriff's Office
  • OES - Office of Emergency Services, County of Nevada
  • PRC 4291 - Public Resource Code concerning 100ft of Defensible Space around homes
  • RPF - Registered Professional Forester
  • SAR - Search and Rescue (volunteers supporting the NC Sheriff's Office)
  • THP - Timber Harvest Plan

Firewise Communities

Click here for a Countywide Map of Firewise Communities (also shows In-Training Communities) as of May 2023.pdf

Are you a leader or committee member of a Firewise Community (FWC) looking for help in administering your FWC? This section of our website has information and resources to help you.

Are you in a Firewise USA® community? 

The County of Nevada website hosts an interactive map showing the current NFPA-recognized Firewise USA® communities (FWC), plus those "In-Training" which are being developed and sponsored through the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County. You can use this interactive GIS map on that website to find out if you're already in a FWC. Read the directions for use below - there are no instructions on the map page.

Directions: Type your home address (or any other address) into the white box on the map and click 'enter'. This will locate and place a dot on the map showing the address location. Each FWC has a different background color - the colors are subtle and can be checked against the Legend to the left. By scrolling out SLOWLY, it will show the names of the FWC and its neighbors. If you scroll out further to the county level, only the colors are shown. Scroll IN from the address-dot level and the street name can be seen. "In Training" neighborhoods that are developing their FWC status and have an accepted map are identified with a uniform yellow background.

An alphabetical list of CERTIFIED FIREWISE COMMUNITIES and individual FWCommunity maps can be found on the Fire Safe Council website here: https://www.areyoufiresafe.com/programs/firewise-usa. If you have trouble locating the individual map for your Firewise Community, contact the Fire Safe Council to send a message to Pat Leach, the Firewise Communities Coordinator.

How to become a Firewise Community brochure: onscreen version. This version of our tri-fold brochure is easiest to read on-screen, but printing it requires legal-size paper (8 1/2 x 14). PDF

How to become a Firewise Community brochure: print-at-home version. 8 1/2 x11, 6 pages PDF

What is an "In Training" Firewise Community? These are neighborhoods that are developing the steps necessary to become a Firewise Community. Many are waiting for their Hazard Assessment to be performed and documented by a qualified fire expert, with funding obtained by the Fire Safe Council (there is no cost to the neighborhood itself). The Community then creates its own 1-to-2 page Action Plan based on the Assessment, and the Fire Safe Council registers the new Firewise Community with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Prior to certification, all "in training" communities are encouraged to act like a certified Firewise Community, have one or more representatives attend monthly Coalition meetings, etc.

Truckee - East County

Truckee - East County image
Firewise Communities in the Truckee-Tahoe region now have their own sub-coalition focused specifically on issues and resources specific to eastern Nevada County. The Eastern Regional Firewise Coalition has its own extensive website here -- check it out!

Darin Bue, coordinator of the Floriston Firewise Community, is serving on the county-wide Nevada County Coalition of Firewise Communities as a representative of the Eastern Regional group.

Learn What To Do (Education Resources)

[All documents on this site are safe to download. If your virus blocker prevents access, use our Contact form to specify what documents you'd like and we'll email them to you directly.]

Is there a wildfire? 6 Oct2022.pdf tells how to get early notice of a nearby wildfire and how to quickly check wind direction to see if it's being pushed toward you. (1-page PDF, does not open in a new tab -- check your Downloads folder.) This 7-minute video is a live demonstration (excerpted from our July meeting) of the points in this handout.

Best of the Best education resources:

(scroll down for even more)

Your Home Can Survive a Wildfire - Watch giant nozzles blow burning embers at mock houses in a monster testing facility. In this 13-minute video with great visuals, Dr. Jack Cohen, Fire Science Researcher with the USDA Forest Service, explains current research about how homes ignite during wildfires. After watching this, you will feel more confident that the action steps you take can help your home survive the impacts of flames and embers.

Wildfire Defensible Space: Zone Zero - 7-minute video about the most important defensible space zone, 0-to 5 feet around your house. See description below in the OUTSIDE category.

Three great sources for information about home hardening (what you need to do in and around your buildings):

  1. Wildfire Hazards in Residential Fences and Mulch Beds is a new (Aug 2022) report that will help you evaluate your risk from your fences. See the photo showing flames jumping from a wood fence to the house 6 feet away.
  2. Wildfire home retrofit guide.pdf from University of Nevada, Reno Extension and University of California Cooperative Extension, with funding from Cal Fire. Clear information and drawings for how to retrofit existing components of a home to withstand wildfire.
  3. See below, from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). Like the retrofit guide above, these are comprehensive, detailed and based on scientific research  performed by people who aren't trying to sell you anything. Download the first checklist and then either the second "everything" guide or the individual fact sheets (in the third bullet):
  • An 11-page Wildfire Home Assessment & Checklist
  • A 40-page Protect Your Property From Wildfire guide, covering roof covering, gutters, vents, windows and doors, decks/patios/porches, siding, fences, outbuildings, fuel tanks and more.
  • Don't want 40 pages? The IBHS has split the guide into individual Research Fact Sheets here on the NFPA website-- get only the topics you want: Attic & Crawl Space Vents; Fire-Retardant Coatings; Decks; Exterior Sprinkler Systems; Fencing; Fire Spread on Ember-Ignited Decks; Roofing Materials; Skylights; Under-Eave Construction, and Immediate (noncombustible) Zone around your house.

How to Stay Informed During Wildfire Season Oct2022.pdf  One page for finding weather advisories, how to sign up for emergency alerts, and, during an ACTUAL EMERGENCY, how to stay updated and informed. Print and post it on your refrigerator!

Roadside Clearing Regulations: make your roads safe for firefighters to get IN and for you to get OUT. This unofficial one-page PDF with diagrams, created by the Coalition of Firewise Communities, tells you the requirements in the unincorporated County, City of Grass Valley and Nevada City, for clearing back from the sides of private roads. There are three times as many private roads in the County as there are public roads, and the property owners are responsible for meeting these requirements. See "Rules & Enforcement" for how to report violations of these roadside clearing regulations.

What do you do when your 100 feet of defensible space goes onto a neighbor's property? Or onto government land? What if your neighbor refuses to clear her property? The five-page document linked here, "What If Your 100 Feet of Defensible Space Goes Beyond Your Property Line?," tells you how to proceed under different scenarios. Read additional detail on our Rules & Enforcement page.

In addition to the above, check out these other great resources (many from past Coalition meetings).

OUTSIDE: defensible space, landscaping, generators

YOUR HOUSE: protecting your dwelling

YOU & YOURS: how to prepare, evacuating

  • CodeRED EXPLAINER: a 2-sided PDF showing the differences between the County CodeRED Emergency Alert System, the CodeRED Mobile App, and other alerts you may receive. Clearly shows why you need to be signed up for our Nevada County CodeRED System. The County also has a very simple, clear graphic chart on this page (scroll down past the video Overviews).
  • Know Your Evacuation Zone - see the County of Nevada section below, third bullet point. It's vital to know your Evacuation Zone number.
  • Sign up for text alerts from Cal Fire. In the box that says "Sign Up For Text Messages," enter your cellphone number and zip code, then click "Sign Up."
  • The Hi-Lo Siren means your life and property are under imminent threat. Learn what the Hi-Lo Siren sounds like (2:30min County video) because it means "YOU MUST LEAVE NOW." 

Lists and Checklists:

  • How to Stay Informed During Wildfire Season Oct2022.pdf -- one page listing all the ways to stay informed and get status updates during an actual emergency.
  • Important Documents You Will Need - a checklist of what you need to have ready to take with you when evacuating, including what wildfire survivors say they wished they'd taken. In PDF format or Word docx format you can customize to your situation.
  • Walking-Out-the-Door checklists to post in/near your garage: Evacuation Plan Before Wildfire Gets to Your House.pdf, ready to use, by the Coalition's Evacuation Committee. Also check out the Wildfire Evacuation Checklist 2-sided PDF from Marin County, which is very detailed with great information. Many people use these as guides for creating their own customized checklist.
  • Camp Fire survivor Cat Cardinalli provided a compelling presentation at the June 2022 Coalition meeting. Here is PDF of her First-Hand Lessons from a Paradise Fire Survivor. For a Word docx version that you can edit and customize for your own planning purposes, click this and the doc will automatically download to your computer's Downloads folder (a new page will NOT open here on the website).

Take the Advice of Firefighters:


What is the County of Nevada doing about wildfire preparedness?

Answer: A LOT! Visit the County's emergency preparedness website, ReadyNevadaCounty.org, for links to many great resources.

  • Ready/Set/Go Handbook - 36-page official Handbook for Wildfire Safety and Emergency Preparedness. This is the one mailed to every residential address in the county, every year.
  • CodeRED Emergency Alerts - official county alerts sent by phone, text and/or email. Sign up for CodeRED Emergency Alerts on this page.
  • Know Your Evacuation Zone: click here to find out what your Zone Number is for your home or business address (type your address into the upper left box). When evacuation warnings/orders are issued, they will be by Zone Number, NOT by street names (NOT "south of Ridge Road, west of Hwy 20" etc.). Enter your address in the white search box (upper left of map) to find out YOUR zone number. Write it down! Post it on your refrigerator and make it a Contact in your cellphone (First name: "Evacuation," Last name: "Zone"). Here's a PDF you can make into a large, printed map of ALL ZONES: Evacuation Zone Map Packet - Nevada County.pdf
  • The Ready Nevada County Dashboard has many helpful features. In a wildfire event large enough to trigger the opening of the County's Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the Dashboard is where you will find constantly updated information on fire status, evacuations, available shelters and more.
  • Hi Lo Siren County Video - hear what the "YOU MUST LEAVE NOW" warning siren sounds like.
  • Neighbors refusing to clear their hazardous vegetation in unincorporated Nevada County? Register for a free Citizen Access account and Request a Defensible Space Inspection by a county inspector who has the authority to enforce county codes. (If you live in the city of Grass Valley or Nevada City, the steps for reporting a hazard can be found on page 5 of this document.)
  • County Road Vegetation Maintenance - then-County Department of Public Works Director Trisha Tillotson, in the April 2021 Coalition meeting, showed these 14 slides to illustrate their plan for brush clearing for safer ingress and egress on County roads.

Other Resources

Rules & Enforcement

Is today a BURN DAY? Click here to check whether you can burn today in unincorporated Nevada County. Burning is always prohibited within city limits of Grass Valley and Nevada City. UPDATE: As of June 26, 2023, Cal Fire has suspended all burn permits in Nevada, Yuba, Placer and Sierra Counties. This bans all residential outdoor burning of landscape debris.

To report hazardous vegetation on a property in unincorporated Nevada County (ideally AFTER you've already attempted to communicate with the owner), click here and scroll down to "Submit a Code Compliance Request." (Note that you must use Google Chrome to submit the request.) A Defensible Space Inspector will come out to determine if the property is in violation, while you remain anonymous. If you live within city limits of Grass Valley or Nevada City, see page 5 of the "What If Your 100 Feet etc." document linked in the next paragraph.

What do you do when your 100 feet of defensible space goes onto a neighbor's property? Or onto government land (city park, county open space, national forest, etc.)? Or what if your neighbor refuses to clear her property? The five-page document linked here, "What If Your 100 Feet of Defensible Space Goes Beyond Your Property Line?," tells you how to proceed under different scenarios, including whether structures (like your house) are involved, whether you are in city limits or in unincorporated county, and more. Step-by-step suggestions for trying to get your neighbors to clear their dangerous parcels are included, plus how to file a complaint that will bring out a County Defensible Space Inspector or a city code enforcement staffer.

Want to work on a BLM (Bureau of Land Management) parcel? Here's a BLM Defensible Space Permit Application to clear BLM land. See "What If Your 100 Feet etc." document above for when you need this.


What if TREE BRANCHES are an issue with your neighbor? (For example, a tree on your neighbor's property has huge branches that overhang your property and you consider them a danger or nuisance.) Below is The Definitive Guide to Tree Disputes in California, from the Hastings Law School (UC Berkeley) Environmental Law Journal, Winter 2015. See yellow highlighting on pages 116-119 and also 121, which states "Property owners should be aware that they might be liable for damage caused by falling trees in extreme weather events and tree owners should consult arborists to minimize potential liability."

The Definitive Guide to Tree Disputes in California


Roadside Clearing Regulations: make your roads safer for firefighters to get IN and for you to get OUT.

This unofficial one-sheet PDF handout from the Coalition of Firewise Communities tells you the requirements, in the unincorporated County, City of Grass Valley and Nevada City, for clearing back from the sides of private roads. Diagrams help make it clear. There are three times as many private roads in the County as there are public roads, and the property owners are responsible for meeting these requirements.

To report Roadside Tree, Vegetation and Brush Concerns along County-maintained roads, click here and choose the link with the "Roadside Tree etc" name (& pine tree icon) under "Submit a Road Maintenance Request." To report problems on private roads, see first paragraph above.

Talking to your neighbors about defensible space - helpful PDF from Fire Safe Council with good tips on getting neighbors to buy into the idea of fire safety. Also see It's the Law! (pdf from Cascade Shores Firewise Committee)

CODES, STANDARDS & ORDINANCES

The document described above, "What If Your 100 Feet of Defensible Space etc.", should answer most people's questions and concerns. But if you really want to get into the weeds (bad pun, sorry!), see below for details about local codes and ordinances.

Unincorporated Nevada County:

The County of Nevada has a hazardous vegetation ordinance, entitled Nuisance Declared; Duty to Abate Hazardous Vegetation and Combustible Material (Click #7.4) which requires defensible space around habitable structures (100 feet) as well as along roadways 10 feet wide and 15 feet high) beyond the shoulder of roadways (both sides) that serve as primary ingress and egress routes. Here's the County Code for Private Driveway Construction Standards

California has state standard PRC 4291, but its requirements are incorporated into the Nevada County ordinance, so you do not need to consult state standards unless you really want to know exactly what they are. (The definitions of terms used in 4291 are at PRC 4211).

Nevada County Consolidated Fire District has standards for Fire Protection Water Supply Systems. If you want to install a tank for potential use by firefighters (not for personal, home or agricultural water), it must meet the standards.

City Regulations Are Different

If you live within the city limits of Grass Valley or Nevada City, the Nevada County vegetation ordinance does not apply to you. The specific weed abatement ordinances are below, but we strongly suggest you read "What If Your 100 Feet of Defensible Space etc.", described at the top of this page. It has a section on all the requirements that are applicable to city residents. These requirements must be met by May 1 of every year (since Mother Nature keeps coming back).

City of Grass Valley Weed Abatement Ordinance:

Grass Valley's Vegetation Management Ordinance has been updated for 2023. As of June 23, the new code is not on the City's website of codes and ordinances. Here is the new code in a 6-page PDF, from Article II, 8.16.200 through 8.16.320, plus Article V, Violations-Penalty.

City of Nevada City:

Vegetation Management, Debris Removal and Abatement Regulations

Link to all Nevada County Ordinances:  http://qcode.us/codes/nevadacounty/

Link to all City of Grass Valley Ordinances: https://library.municode.com/ca/grass_valley/codes/code_of_ordinances

Link to all Nevada City Ordinances: https://library.municode.com/ca/nevada_city/codes/code_of_ordinances


Selling Your House?

State law AB38 says that houses being sold in a high or very high fire hazard severity zone (which means 92% of Nevada County) require "documentation of a compliant Defensible Space Inspection." Cal Fire and the Nevada County Board of Realtors/California Association of Realtors interpret this law in two different ways.

Cal Fire: Here is Cal Fire's FAQ Information Bulletin. You can request an AB38 Defensible Space Inspection on this Cal Fire webpage. Here is the actual form used during the inspection. 

Nevada County Association of Realtors (NCAOR) and the California Association of Realtors do not believe that Nevada County homes are required to get an inspection. 

You can watch presentations given at the August 2022 Coalition meeting here. Click the tiny words "SHOW MORE" under the video screen -- you will see hotlinks that jump you to the AB38 presentations by Cal Fire's Joseph Santos and by Teresa Dietrich, Legislative chair, NCAOR. Teresa's Powerpoint PDF is here.

The Coalition does not take a position on this issue and cannot answer your questions on AB38 compliance -- please ask your real estate agent.

Advocacy & Action

GREENHORN FWC INSTALLS FOUR WATER TANKS FOR FIRE SUPPRESSION - 2022

The Greenhorn Firewise Community purchased and installed water tanks with 40,000 total gallons of water storage on the Greenhorn Road corridor for the sole purpose of fire suppression. The tanks are strategically located two and four miles from the intersection with Brunswick Road. Approximately 780 households will benefit from this increased dedicated water supply by reducing turnaround times for fire resources, thus greatly increasing the ability of the fire agencies to suppress fires early in their progression.  

Read this 13-page report, "Greenhorn Water Tanks Lessons Learned" for a detailed step-by-step explanation of how other Firewise Communities could follow this example. Greenhorn FWC Water Tank Committee chair Dianne Marshall gets a special shout-out for her diligence in spearheading this project and writing up the excellent documentation.

DEER CREEK SOUTHSIDE FWC CLEANUP MAKES HEADLINES - June 2022

Congrats to the volunteers who hauled about 70 cubic yards of garbage out of the Deer Creek watershed in early June 2022. Special shout-out to Lorraine Gervais, her husband Charlie Faber, and the agencies that came together to support this community action. Read the article and see the graphic photos here.

HOMEOWNERS INSTALL WATER TANK STORAGE FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD - April 2022

Lauren Drutz and her husband, private homeowners in the 6B & Friends Firewise Community, spent their own money to install a pair of underground water storage tanks which provide 5,000 gallons of water to help protect their home and their entire community. Check out the specs and costs, with color photos, in this 6-slide PDF.

CALTRANS HIGHWAY ROADSIDE CLEARING - January 2021 

The squeaky wheel gets the grease. As Public Input to a draft State Route 49 Safety Assessment Report, Coalition vice chair Susan Rogers wrote and sent this letter (after receiving Coalition membership approval) to Caltrans on Dec. 4, 2020, calling for an updated vision of highway safety to include evacuation safety, and asking for aggressive roadside fuel reduction across all state highways in Nevada County.

We received this Jan. 15, 2021 response from them. It sounds like they heard us and they are moving in the right direction. But as we know, it's a big bureaucracy and they have a lot on their plate. So, the more people who let them know that "speed is of the essence," the greater chance that they will apply staff and financial resources in a more timely manner. You can make your voice heard by writing to our local District 3 Director for Caltrans: Amarjeet S. Benipal, District 3 Director, Caltrans, 703 B Street, Marysville, CA 95901.

Written letters have the most impact because they demonstrate the writer's commitment to the issue. But if email is what you can do:
Email: d3pio@dot.ca.gov (This is the Public Information Officer. Ask that your email be forwarded to Mr. Benipal). Please also copy your letter to the head of Caltrans statewide:
Toks Omishakin, Director, Caltrans, P.O. Box 942873, Sacramento, CA

Thank you to Susan, and thanks everyone else who will also send their letters to support this effort.
Background information specific to the SR 49 Safety Assessment Report:

Here is Caltrans' article on the project: https://dot.ca.gov/caltrans-near-me/district-3/d3-projects/d3-sr-49-safety-assessment.

Here is the entire Draft Safety Assessment Report: https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/district-3/documents/sr-49-safety-assessment-report-07-15-20_draft_a11y.pdf

Firewise Community Leader Gets BLM to Create a Permit Process

There is now a permit process to help landowners pursue clearing on adjacent land owned by the Bureau of Land Management (a federal agency). Thanks to the advocacy of Bob Long, chair of the Sherwood Forest Firewise Community, BLM (which has a large piece of land on the back side of numerous Sherwood Forest homeowners' properties) created this Defensible Space Permit Application which you can download here. Their phone number is not on the application; it's (916) 941-3101.

Should BLM should do this work themselves? Sure, but they are greatly understaffed and underfunded. Contact your local Congressperson to ask for increased federal funding of BLM for fire safety.

For FWC Admins

This page has information and resources for helping the leaders of individual Firewise Communities (FWCs) administer their local FWC. If anyone in your leadership team has a Facebook profile, have them join our Coalition Facebook group here, where we share good ideas, questions and answers.

Using Google Forms to digitally capture the Hazard/Risk Assessment and Annual spending  (Risk Reduction Investment)

Each Firewise Community is required to report the Risk Reduction Investment (hours and money spent on firewise activity - required yearly), as well as the Hazard Assessment (every 5 years)  The Hazard Assessment will direct the content of the Action Plan.  Google Forms will assist in making this job simpler. Google forms editing works best with a Gmail account.  Gmail account is not needed to respond to a Form once it is completed.

This is using a Google product, your experience and results will work better with the Google Chrome Browser and a Gmail account.

Follow the instructions from #1.

In 2023, many Firewise Communities need to prepare a new Risk Assessment and a new Action Plan so that they can keep their NFPA certification. Here are your resources for doing this:

  1. The Fire Safe Council's Firewise Coordinator Pat Leach created this Steps to Creating or Updating Your Risk Assessment, in PDF format, clearly describing what you need to do. Download it to your own computer for ongoing reference. (The images of the Risk Assessment form will be fuzzy -- click on the link below in #2  to get your own download of the actual Risk Assessment Template to print and use.)
  2. This Risk Assessment Template (on the NFPA website) is what you will use to complete the Risk Assessment. Download it to your own computer. Be sure to also view the NFPA's online Tutorial for completing the Risk Assessment.
  3. Need a new Action Plan? Here is Cal Fire's 3Year-Action_Plan_Template in Word docx forat. It's also available in Step 3 when your FWC leader signs into the portal at the NFPA website (look for the red "Login to the portal" button).

Questions? Send an email to Pat via the Contact Us page on the Fire Safe Council website. (Don't contact the Coalition, we have nothing to do with the NFPA re-certification process.)

Wildfire Preparedness Educational Resources for your FWC

This website is for you and your FWC members. You can use anything here to help the residents in your neighborhood(s) know what to do and how to do it. If a topic is missing that you want to cover, let us know and we'll consider adding it. Our Education Resources section has several excellent one-page PDFs you can print and distribute (or link to in your emails to your members). In particular, be sure everyone has a copy of Early Warning Alerts-Weather & How to Stay Informed.

Administering Your FWC Day-to-Day

Non-compliant residents in your FWC: Is there a "problem" property in your FWC, a neighbor (or absentee owner) who doesn't comply with required county abatement ordinances? Try using the resources here for implementing a 30-Day Courtesy Notice Program (download and read the documents linked below). This has been successfully used in several Firewise Communities to convince owners of "dirty" properties that they need to come into compliance with the law. Making the 30-Day Notice work.docx  guidelines for how to implement the program (MS Word docx)30-Day Clean-Up Courtesy Notice template - lot with structure.docx (MS Word docx)30-Day Clean-Up Courtesy Notice template - vacant lot.docx (MS Word docx)

Everyday Communication with your FWC Residents

-- Get customizable blank letterhead with the NFPA Firewise logo on it here in Microsoft Word docx format.. Insert your own FWC name in the header where you see "Foxwood - Slate Creek." If you can't open a Word doc, you have two options: 1) download this PDF with the NFPA logo but no FWC name above the black line, OR 2) we can provide you with a PDF that has both your FWC name and NFPA logo on it. You can print the PDF, place in your printer paper tray, then format your letter to start underneath the header. Use the Ask A Question contact form to request this, directed to Susan Rogers. Be sure to specify the name of your Firewise Community.-- Here's a great flyer from Deer Creek South Side (designed by Lorraine Gervais) which we hope to make available as a template that other FWCs can adapt. They also have a free website on Google -- check it out here.

-- Lake Wildwood FWC has provided us with customizable Microsoft Word docxs based on materials they use for Forming Neighborhood Groups. Here are a sample Meeting Invitation, Contact Roster, Coordinators Agenda, and Participants Agenda, which you can download and tweak as needed to help set up and lead meetings in your own FWC. Thank you LWW! (If you can't open a Word docx, see above for contacting Susan Rogers to get PDFs.) At the Coalition's November 2022 meeting, Sharon Allen talked about Lake Wildwood's communications with their residents, including excellent tips on motivation and communication. Here is the Powerpoint (in PDF format) of her presentation which should give you good ideas for your own FWC.

-- If your FWC maintains your own "firewise" website or Facebook page, scroll to the end of this page to see Guidelines we hope you'll follow.

-- How Do Other FWCs Communicate With Their Residents? -  a PDF summary of 36 Firewise communities that responded to a November 2019 survey asking about the methods, frequency and effectiveness of communicating firewise messages to their member households. Gives you a good idea of what others are doing (email, newsletters, etc.) and the challenges they are facing. Names of the rep who filled out the survey are included, but contact information is not provided for privacy reasons. If you want to contact a rep, please contact the Fire Safe Council to send a message to Pat Leach, the Firewise Communities Coordinator. Our Coalition does not have access to a list of all the FWC reps.

Preparing for EMERGENCY Communication with your FWC Residents

The Emergency Alert Buddy System, developed in Lake Wildwood by Virginia Gompertz, works very well for organizing your residents into small groups. Check out these materials:

You may want or need a more robust way of keeping residents connected during an emergency (beyond the Buddy System above). Three Coalition meetings have been held on Neighborhood Emergency Communications (phone tree, short-wave radio, etc.) in case of wildfire . The May 2023 video is [TBD], the March 2022 video here, and  the May 2021 recording is here. After you pull up the video, click SHOW MORE in the description to see hotlinks that allow you to jump directly to the program speakers.

From our May 2023 meeting on setting up a neighborhood radio network with the support of Nevada County ARES (see May 2023 video linked above), here are four EXAMPLE documents that Gold Hill FWC has created to help residents remember how to use the equipment. If your FWC creates its own radio network with help from Nevada County ARES group, you could use these documents as a template and just change the name of the FWC on them (they are docx and will download to your hard drive - they do NOT open in your web browser): Gold Hill Radio Watch Dual Display Guide.docx Gold Hill Radio Watch - GMRS Channels.docx Gold Hill Radio Watch - Net Guide.docx Gold Hill Radio Watch - Quick Guide to GMRS Radio specs-features.docx

The Mendocino County Fire Safe Council has also worked on this issue. Here is their website page on Neighborhood Emergency Communications, with information on two low-cost group dialing services and one FWC that has found VHF radio to be their long-term solution. The latter has a very detailed document you can download entitled, "Neighborhood Communications in Mountainous Terrain" that gives their entire history of comparing various options.

Funding for Your FWC Neighborhood Projects

-- Does your FWC need better access to water for fire suppression? Read how the Greenhorn FWC bought and installed their own waters tanks.

-- December 2022 Coalition meeting: see the video recording here (heads up, the audio is marginal, sorry). As an alternative, here are the Powerpoints (in PDF format) from the speakers:

-- Healthy Forest Funding & More -- how the Greenhorn FWC got grant funding from the County of Nevada's FEMA Resiliency funds for installation of two water tanks for fire response. Excellent Powerpoint (converted to PDF) by Dianne Marshall, presented at the December 2021 Coalition meeting.-- Shovel Ready Projects - Checklist. Gives you a basic idea of what's needed if your neighborhood has a large project that requires funding to get it done. "Shovel ready" means that if it were to get funded, you could almost immediately put a shovel in the ground and start, because you've already figured out (and obtained) the permits or permissions needed, gotten bids from contractors, etc. Helps document your project so that it can be "bundled" with other projects in grant-funding proposals by the Fire Safe Council.

NFPA Annual Reporting

Common Findings From Firewise Hazard Assessments Fire scientist Jo Ann Fites-Kaufman described the many problems she sees when she evaluates in-training Firewise Communities for their NFPA certification. Does your FWC have these problems?  (this is a Powerpoint presented at October 2019 Coalition meeting (with photos) converted to PDF)

Got Your Own Website? Check out these Communication Guidelines for Websites created and maintained by individual FWCs.

If your Firewise Community is able to create and maintain your own website:

  • The primary focus of your FWCommunity website should be to post your LOCAL FWC neighborhood/community information such as:
    • Your map, showing the boundaries of your Firewise Community
    • Your Community date of certification or when you became an "In Training" community
    • Important contact information for members of your Firewise Community
    • Community Evacuation Map w/ routes and instructions to find 2+ ways out of community

  • Please do not create your own pages with generic educational information, such as on defensible space, roadside clearing specs, emergency planning, etc. The risk is that your very local website may not be able to keep up with constantly-changing information and updated research. It is important to direct homeowners and residents to sites with the most up-to-date information from government and fire agencies. Instead, we ask that you create links to the Educational Resources page on this Coalition site plus these official websites on your local community website.

Insurance Issues

Insurers Currently Offering Discounts (links to California Dept. of Insurance)

Feb 2024 PDF/Powerpoint presented by Jim Mathias, Fire Safe Council, with information about available discounts on insurance now required by the state.

July 2023 article on California's "Safer from Wildfires" regulation mandating an insurance discount for homeowners who take certain steps to reduce their risk, by Truckee Fire Protection District wildfire prevention manager Eric Horntvedt. Here's an informative 2-sided color flier on the Safer from Wildfires program.

The March 2021 Coalition meeting was on the topic of insurance, with three speakers giving background from a state, county and local (Fire Safe Council) perspective. A 53-minute edited video of just those speakers can be viewed here.

Many local residents are facing cancellation of their homeowners insurance. Unfortunately, almost nothing can be done at the local level to help with this problem. This page provides a few resources that might help you figure out your next steps.

You may not know that all local insurance agencies, even those affiliated with the same national brand, are independently owned brokerages that have different relationships with different Surplus Line Insurers (see definition of that below). This means that if one Allstate (for example) agent can't help you, another Allstate agent might be able to. You have to make a lot of phone calls. Call around. 

List of Approved Surplus Line Insurers (LASLI) (click here) 

What does "Surplus Lines" mean? Often called the “safety valve” of the insurance industry, surplus lines insurers (which are usually non-admitted carriers, see below) fill the need for coverage in the marketplace by insuring those risks that are declined by the standard underwriting and pricing processes of admitted insurance carriers.

Admitted vs Non-Admitted Insurance Company - what does that mean? PDF

Website of the California Fair Plan - insurer of last resort. 

Watch this video of the town hall held in Grass Valley on August 23, 2019 with state Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara, which has helpful information for those who are being non-renewed. To avoid local politician's opening remarks, skip to the 6-minute mark to start watching.

As of early 2021, Commissioner Lara has made progress in providing  resources relative to wildfire and insurance concerns. Here is the website page for Wildfire Response and Readiness on the California Department of Insurance website.

The following relates to Coalition activities only -- not helpful for individual residents

Insurance Questionnaire PDF For Coalition Survey

Insurance Questionnaire Word (Type directly onto document and return to Bob as attachment)

Fire Threat Areas - Map from the California Public Utilities Commission (PUC)


My Fire Department

Which Fire Agency Provides Protection Services for Your Neighborhood? - Check the map here 

Nevada County fire agencies have Joint Services agreements with each other and work closely together to respond to all fire emergencies. However, just ONE of them is officially responsible for your neighborhood. Click the map link above to see which one is yours. You need to know which agency this is, because they are the fire officials who you, as a Firewise Community representative, will be working with on activities to ensure fire safety in your community (for example, with the 30-Day Courtesy Notice to owners of non-compliant properties).

Water Tanks for Fire Suppression: 
Nevada County Consolidated Fire District has standards for Fire Protection Water Supply Systems. If you want to install a tank for potential use by firefighters (not for personal, home or agricultural water), it must meet the standards. The April 2022 Powerpoint from Lauren Drutz with photos and details of her tanks is here as a PDF..

Here are the County of Nevada Fire Safe Standards for an Emergency Water Storage Tank.pdf This is the document discussed by Cal Fire's Jim Matthias in April 2022.

Nevada County Fire Districts

Grass Valley Fire Department

Higgins Fire Protection District

Nevada City Fire Department

Nevada County Consolidated Fire District

North San Juan Fire District

Ophir Hill Fire Protection District

Peardale-Chicago Park Fire Department

Penn Valley Fire Protection District

Rough & Ready Fire Department

Truckee Fire Protection District

Fire Safe Council

The Nevada County Coalition of Firewise Communities (the website where you are now) and the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County are two separate, not-related organizations. Visit our Coalition of Firewise Communities' About Us page for information about our all-volunteer organization, which has no staff, no dues and no budget.

The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County is a public benefit, 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation with paid full-time and part-time staff and a board of directors. It was formed in 1998 and is funded by grants, memberships,  donations and fee-for-service programs.

Track chipper available from Fire Safe CouncilThe Fire Safe Council coordinates the formation of individual Firewise Communities (FWCs), and manages their certification (and re-certification) through the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA). Because the Coalition has no funding or budget, the Fire Safe Council makes its online Zoom account available for Coalition use and pays for the Coalition's website hosting and meeting space rental.

Coalition monthly meeting agendas always include a report from a representative of the Fire Safe Council, typically the executive director, the FWC coordinator, or the board chair. 

The Fire Safe Council's office has a wealth of literature from various fire agencies that will help homeowners on virtually any wild-fire related topic. They offer a chipping program, a Special Needs Assistance Program for low-income elderly and disabled, and other services. At their website, you can request a free visit from a trained, volunteer Defensible Space Advisor who will come to your property and help you learn what needs to be done to reduce risks around your home.

Visit the Fire Safe Council website. The Council's phone number is (530) 272-1122, and their address is 143 B Spring Hill Drive, Suite 13, Grass Valley, CA 95945. Check their website for office hours. Park in the spaces marked with white letters "OCS" at the edge of the lot facing Spring Hill Drive. Many spaces directly in front of their office are marked/reserved for other businesses .

Other Fire-Preparedness Agencies & Resources

This page links to official websites of public and private wildfire safety organizations that have helpful information

To get on the email list for upcoming UC Continuing Education events about prescribed burns, go to:
https://ucanr.edu/sites/forestry/Forest_Vegetation_Management/Prescribed_Fire/. Click “Contact”, then “Join Email List” to sign up for notices of training and events.

To watch the 2 recorded UCCE sponsored prescribed burning webinars from 2020, go to: Prescribed fire webinar series in Mariposa county - http://cemariposa.ucanr.edu/Fire_Information/Events/ and/or Prescribed Fire for Foresters - http://cehumboldt.ucanr.edu/Programs/Fire/Workshops/Prescribed_Fire_for_Foresters/.

That webinar connects to these printed resources:

  • Prescribed Fire Liability in California (link)
    • Building a burn trailer to support your community's prescribed fire efforts (link)
    • Burning by the Day: Why cost/acre is not a good metric for prescribed fire (link)
    • Options for prescribed fire on private lands in California (link)
    • Is funding always worth the cost? (link)

To get on the contact list for our local Yuba Bear Burn Cooperative contact Cordi Craig at: cordi@sierraforestlegacy.org

Controlled burns are very much key to the future of forest health and fire mitigation efforts in our area, according to many experts. First-timers should probably start on a small scale in the range of 5 to 50 acres with you and your surrounding neighbors. Larger-scale projects in the area of 50 to 500 acres have funding opportunities if you are willing to be a community organizer. Basically, you organize the work and the experts come in and teach how to manage the burns.


R2

PG&E

CPUC Fire Threat Areas - Map on the website of the California Public Utilities Commission. Western Nevada County is in Elevated or Extreme areas.

Sign up for Alerts about when PGE will turn off power. Register for power shut off notifications here.

Manage Trees and Plants Near Powerlines

PG&E Community Wildfire Safety Program - Information on the PGE - COMMUNITY WILDFIRE SAFETY PROGRAM  - Working together to create fire defense zones around power lines.


Contact - Joanne Drummond, local PG&E representative for the Community Wildfire Safety Program

Joanne Drummond
Vegetation Program Manager, CEMA - Fuels Reduction
Joanne.Drummond@pge.com | Office (530) 889-3166 | Cell (530) 510-1064


Articles about PGE

About Us

The Nevada County Coalition of Firewise Communities, formed September 2017, is an all-volunteer organization (no staff, no dues, no budget) which works with, but is not related to, the Fire Safe Council of Nevada County. We exist to support the representatives and residents of about 100 Firewise Communities (FWCs) in Nevada County -- that number includes more than 70 NFPA-certified FWCs and the rest "in the pipeline" for certification. Individual FWCs, as part of a well-respected national movement, are certified through, and supported by, the Fire Safe Council.


The Coalition was created to bring FWC representatives together to share ideas and information with each other and to amplify the county-wide effort to educate residents on wildfire preparedness. We work hard in our neighborhoods to promote safe practices in a dangerous wildfire environment. The Coalition may also sometimes act as a "voice of the people" in advocating for better fire-safe practices and policies. We met monthly through 2022. 

In early 2020 the Coalition moved to online Zoom meetings that we later opened to the public. Our meetings are recorded and available in our Archive. Our email list has grown to more than 1,400 people concerned about wildfire, and our speakers cover topics ranging from insurance issues to emergency radio systems and more.

Starting in 2023, we changed to quarterly hybrid meetings (February, May, August and November). In 2024, we will return to our founding focus of helping representatives of Firewise Communities learn from each other to strengthen their local groups.

In addition to holding educational meetings and maintaining this website of resources, the Coalition also creates easy-to-understand documentation to address frequently asked questions. These documents, which can be found with other materials on our Education Resources page, include Roadside Clearing Regulations for both County and City residents; What Do You Do When Your 100 feet of Defensible Space Goes Onto a Neighbor's Property?; and How to Stay Informed During Wildfire Season.

Check out the history and evolution of both the Coalition and the County Office of Emergency Services here, in a PDF/Powerpoint celebrating our 5-year anniversary.

  • FORM OF ORGANIZATION: The Coalition is an unincorporated nonprofit association as defined by California Corporations Code Section 18020(a).
  • MISSION: The Coalition promotes fire safety through advocacy, education, and community involvement with other stakeholders interested in working toward stronger fire safety practices.
  • GOAL: To support the formation and functioning of neighborhood-based Firewise Communities through information-sharing and collaborative problem-solving, in coordination with key public and private Nevada County organizations, in the recognition that fire is everyone's fight. 
  • MEMBERSHIP:
    • Nevada County residential communities certified as a “Firewise Community” under the NFPA’s Firewise USA Program plus those considered “in training" can be Members of the Coalition. Individual county residents may also join. "Joining" simply means getting on our mailing list. There are no dues.
    • Each member Firewise Community (both NFPA-certified and in training) may designate one representative to vote on occasional pieces of Coalition business (e.g., advocacy positions, by-law changes). If that representative cannot attend a meeting, another member of that community may fill in for him or her.
    • A member may terminate membership at any time by notifying the Coalition Chair in writing or by email.

Our meetings are the first Tuesday in February, May, August and November at 5:30 pm (unless re-scheduled due to holiday/weather). Once a year, the meeting will be in Truckee. The other meetings are held at Esterly Hall (Nevada County Association of Realtors), 336 Crown Point Circle, in Grass Valley. Never been there? Here's an aerial map view plus photo of the lower driveway and building.

Join our mailing list to get the latest meeting information.

Our meetings are now recorded. Videos of our past meetings are here on our YouTube Channel.

Steering Committee members (FWC = Firewise Community)
Darin Bue, Floriston FWC, representing Eastern County FWCs
Kristen Cook, YouBet FWC
Jason Hajduk-Dorworth, Eastside Regional FW Coalition
Erika Kosina
Bob Long, Sherwood Forest FWC
Jeff Peach, Banner Mountain FWC - email list, web tech support
Susan Rogers, Glenwood-Maidu-Charlene FWC - website content

By Laws
Coalition-Bylaws Final Approved Oct2021.pdf
Coalition Creation - Press Release December 2017
Chair and Vice Chair Job Description - Coalition-Position-Descriptions.pdf

Join the Nevada County Coalition of Firewise Communities Email List - Stay Informed!
How to Stay Informed During Wildfire Season 18Jul2021.pdf

Zoom Meeting Archive

Zoom Meeting Archive & Minutes

Our videos are on our YouTube Channel. Use the timestamps (visible when you click SHOW MORE in the YouTube description on videos starting March 2021) to skip directly to the speaker you want to hear. For example, clicking a blue "38:20" will jump you to the speaker who started at the 38-minute point.

2024
February 27 - Agency Reports - FSC Council update on the year - Coalition Going Forward - Tools For Firewise Leaders
2023
August 25 - Wildfire - Evacuating Nevada County with Shannan Moon, sponsored by the Nevada County Community Forum
August 1 - Truckee Meeting - Truckee Updates - County CWPP - Hardy Bullock
May - Emergency Communications -Case Studies of three Firewise Communities that received free training to set up their own radio systems
March - State Insurance Commissioner's rep Juanita Juarez, with homeowners insurance update

2022
December 6 - Funding Opporutunities - History of Coalition 5 Year Anniversary
November 1 - Red Zone FWC Benefit; Firewise Education Best Practices, Insurance Update; How Homes Ignite video
October - no meeting
September 6 - Shaded Fuel Breaks; Measure V Q&A; Firewise Community Renewal Info
August 2 - Measure V; Microgrant Opportunities; AB 38; FWC recertification
July 5 - Rices Fire Review; Disaster and Access Resources for Seniors; Disaster Funding Opportunity
June 7 - Survivor Stories 2022
May 3 - Beyond the Go Bag: Evacuation Planning & Routes
April 5 - Home Hardening
March 1 - Neighborhood Warning Systems
February 1 - Homeowners Insurance Today in California
January - no meeting, winter break

2021
November 9th - Special Meeting - Firewise Reps - Q&A with Pat Leach
November 2 Coalition Monthly Zoom Meeting video on Beyond the 100ft: Cultivating a Healthy Treescape  
October Zoom Meeting video on DEMYSTIFYING CodeRED  - Telecom Resiliency - South County Shaded Fuel Break
September  Zoom Meeting video on River & Bennett Fire Recap - Show and Tell Review of Educational Resources
August Zoom Meeting video on SURVIVOR STORIES.  
July Zoom Meeting video on EVACUATION.
June Zoom Meeting video on SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
May Zoom Meeting video on EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS
April Zoom Meeting video on HOME HARDENING & DEFENSIBLE SPACE
March Zoom Meeting video on HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE
February Zoom Meeting video - 2021 Kickoff  +  February agenda 
________________________________________________________________________________
2020
October Zoom Meeting video on PSPS CHANGES (starts at 25:46 minutes) & GENERATORS: TYPES, HOW TO CHOOSE &  SAFETY (starts at 56:50 minutes)
September Meeting video - Ready Nevada County DASHBOARD demo only, or full meeting here. (NOTE: change and updates to the Dashboard are discussed in the Sept 2021 meeting)
August Zoom Meeting - YouTube
July Zoom Meeting - YouTube
June Zoom Meeting - YouTube
May Zoom Meeting - YouTube
April Zoom Meeting - YouTube
2020-03-03-FCMM.pdf
2020-02-04-FCMM.pdf
2020-01-07-FCMM.pdf
________________________________________________________________________________
2019
2019-12-03-FCMM.pdf
2019-11-04-FCMM.pdf
2019-10-01-FCMM.pdf
2019-09-03-FCMM.pdf
2019-08-06-FCMM.pdf
2019-06-04-FCMM.pdf
2019-05-07-FCMM.pdf
2019-04-02-FCMM.pdf
2019-03-05-FCMM.pdf
2019-02-11-FCMM.pdf
2019-01-07-FCMM.pdf
________________________________________________________________________________
2018
2018-12-04-FCMM.pdf
2018-11-06-FCMM.pdf
2018-10-02-FCMM.pdf
2018-09-04-FCMM.pdf
2018-08-05-FCMM.pdf
2018-07-12-FCMM.pdf
2018-06-05-FCMM.pdf
2018-05-01-FCMM.pdf
2018-04-03-FCMM.pdf
2018-03-06-FCMM.pdf
2018-02-06-FCMM.pdf
2018-01-02-FCMM.pdf
________________________________________________________________________________
2017
2017-12-05-FCMM.pdf

Contact Us

If you have a question about the certification status of your Firewise Community or anything else relative to the leadership or running of a Firewise Community, please email Pat Leach at the Fire Safe Council (www.AreYouFireSafe.com; use the Contact Us page).


If you have a question about roadside clearing, enforcement of County codes and ordinances, and similar topics, please contact the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services.

If you have a suggestion for a Coalition program, have a question specifically about the Coalition, or are interested in serving as Chair of the Coalition, please fill out and submit the form below.