Supervisor Gore's Monthly Newsletter

June 2021

Be Ready for Wildfire: My Conversation with
Placer County Fire Chief Brian Estes

Click Here to Watch Supervisor Gore's Conversation with Chief Estes

Dear Friends and Neighbors –

Fire season seems to start earlier every year and we are fortunate in Placer County to have excellent fire service – from Cal Fire to local fire departments. I was honored to speak with our Placer County Fire Chief Brian Estes about how Cal Fire is working not only to respond quickly to active incidents but also to proactively reduce fire risk in our County.

He told me Placer County Fire works in conjunction with Cal Fire crews throughout the year to proactively clean up our forests and wildlands in an effort to reduce risk to residents. Forest thinning takes place as part of the North Fork American River Emergency Shaded Fuel Break project and the French Meadows Restoration project. Additionally, residents will occasionally see plumes of smoke as part of prescribed burning in the valley floor.

In addition to fire prevention, Placer County Fire actively engages the community with defensible space inspections and education to homeowners.

Part of that education includes information about the “Wildland Urban Interface.” Often referred to as WUI, the Wildland Urban Interface is where the suburbs and populated areas meet open wildland. This is especially relevant to residents in West Roseville and West Placer as many of our new residents live in homes that abut flat open grasslands. Chief Estes reminds residents that a wildland fire can impact a suburban area just as much as a rural area and we, as residents, should be prepared.

So what can we do to be prepared? Chief Estes stated that the first thing we can do is get educated. Visit ReadyPlacer.org to find resources and information about how we can be ready should a wildfire begin to threaten our area.  We live in an area where wildland fire is a threat and he underscored the importance of communicating with family, friends and neighbors ahead of a potential emergency. Should there be an event, it is immensely important that we are subscribed to Placer Alert. Placer Alert is a mass notification program administered by Placer County Sheriff’s Office to alert residents to evacuate earlier than otherwise possible. You can register as many addresses, phone numbers and emails as you desire. Chief Estes encouraged all residents to sign up at Placer-Alert.org. I will continue to include a link to Placer Alert in my newsletters.

Another part of the local effort to make residents aware of wildfire risk to our community is the Red Flag Warning program. If you see tall red flags posted at fire stations and government buildings that is the time to visit ReadyPlacer.org. A red flag warning is issued by the National Weather Service when conditions combine to produce the possibility of extreme fire behavior. These conditions include any combination of strong winds, high temperatures, low humidity levels, dry fuels and the possibility of dry lightning strikes.

Lastly, Chief Estes reminded residents that ALL fireworks are illegal in unincorporated Placer County. While the Roseville does allow “Safe and Sane” fireworks within city limits, the same are not allowed in West Placer. (South of Baseline Road and West of Brady Lane). I have worked with our Public Information Office and Office of Emergency Services to post reminders throughout the unincorporated area of West Placer at local intersections leading up to Independence Day on July 4^th.

In summary, get educated at ReadyPlacer.org and be alerted by signing up at Placer-Alert.org. All of us taking these proactive steps will be key in helping our first responders in times of emergency.

I hope you have a safe and jubilant June and I look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,
Bonnie

Supervisor Bonnie Gore
Placer County, District 1

Click Here to sign up for Placer Alert

🚨Hi-lo sirens can help save lives🚨

The Placer County Sheriff's Office released an important PSA this week regarding hi-low sirens and how they can help keep us safe. The hi-lo siren was installed in patrol units in 2019 to be used during emergency evacuations. The sound is different from the traditional police siren — it will ONLY be used in areas facing danger from a wildfire, chemical spill, flood, etc. Learn more

Give Feedback on Emergency Plans!

This is the final week to give feedback on emergency planning efforts in Placer County! Our Local Hazard Mitigation Plan is now live for your review and will be receiving feedback at community meetings June 9 and June 10. Also, this is the last week to take our Community Wildfire Preparedness Plan survey. Together we can make sure our county is emergency prepared! View the LHMP plan and take the CWPP survey today

Atkinson Named Assistant Director of the Office of Emergency Services

Placer County has named county civil engineer and Placer Resident Dave Atkinson as the assistant director of the Office of Emergency Services to lead the county's emergency management program.   Learn more...

Cal Fire Suspends Burn Permits in Nevada, Yuba, and Placer Counties

The increasing fire danger posed by the high volume of dead grass and hotter, drier conditions in the region is prompting Cal Fire to suspend all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within the State Responsibility Area of Nevada, Yuba, and Placer Counties.  Learn more...

Other News, Notices and Updates

Click Here to Sign Up for Emergency Notifications

Questions or Comments?
Email District 1 Director, Landon Wolf at: LandonWolf@Placer.CA.Gov

www.placer.ca.gov