Wildfire preparedness and fire services town hall

Published on July 1, 2020

County residents are encouraged to attend a virtual town hall meeting with two members of the Placer County Board of Supervisors and the County Fire Chief to discuss wildfire preparations and fire protection services as we move into the height of fire season.

The virtual town hall will be held via Zoom on Monday, July 6, from 11 a.m. to noon and will feature CAL FIRE NEU Unit Chief/ Placer County Fire Department Chief Brian Estes along with District 5 Supervisor Cindy Gustafson and District 3 Supervisor Jim Holmes.

“We want to make sure wildfire preparedness is top of mind as we head into the wildfire season,” said Supervisor Holmes. “Unfortunately, the pandemic limits our ability to conduct an in-person town hall but we hope residents will join us virtually via Zoom or by calling our conference line to listen to the discussion.” 

Chief Estes will provide an update on CAL FIRE and PCFD staffing and preparedness as we move into this year’s fire season.

“We want our residents to know the actions we are taking to prepare for increased fire activity as the days grow hotter and vegetation grows dryer,” said Chief Estes. “We have increased the number of CAL FIRE personnel and brought in more equipment to strategic locations so that we can ensure small fires are quickly contained with a strong initial attack.” 

Residents will also hear an update on the North Fork American River Shaded Fuel Break, a project that is designed to protect residents and key resources from a wildfire along the Interstate 80 corridor between Colfax and Auburn

“We have been very fortunate to have been spared the terrible wildfire devastation that several of our neighboring counties have faced,” said Supervisor Gustafson. “We must continue to do more to improve our preparedness position. We have too much to lose not to treat this as a top priority.”

The town hall will also provide residents with updated information regarding Placer County’s new hazardous vegetation ordinance, which expands the scope of defensible space requirements and enhances enforcement measures to encourage property owners to comply in a timely fashion.   

The county has been working diligently to promote wildfire preparedness via messaging on its social media channels and in its weekly community newsletter. Monday’s town hall meeting will provide supervisors with another opportunity to share more about the partnerships that have been established to improve the county’s overall forest health.    

Residents may participate in this meeting by accessing the following web link: https://placer-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/98245552922, or by calling 1-669-900-6833 or 888-788-0099, Conference ID: 982 4555 2922. Please note, those calling in will be able to hear the entire meeting but will not be able to provide public comment.

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