August through October is when the fire danger is high in the Sierra Foothills. Burning anything was suspended in early July and will remain in effect until the fall rains come in. How does one live in a region like this with the possibility of fire at any time? We take measures.
One of the things we do is trim the branches on the trees up so that the lowest branch is no lower than seven feet from the ground. We also keep our property clean. This involves a lot of weed eating to keep the weeds down to the ground; pine cones are picked up; and we removed highly flammable shrubbery from the property.
If you remember, or maybe were not aware, it was the duff (pine needles and other leaf matter) on the ground that caused the devastation of the fire that occurred a few years back up at Lake Tahoe.
A few years ago in June we had one night of dry lightning – that is lightning and no rain. There were over 5,000 lightning strikes in a large area around us that night, and fires got started! Here are some photos of what the area looked like with all the smoke in the air, which remained all summer long.
From the air looking towards the Sierra Nevada range
Look again at this photo. You can almost see the farthest part of the mountain range.
Closer to home the air quality was really bad.
My neighborhood in the smoke
Here is a shot from Mosquito Bridge looking down the American River.
Smoke along the American River
We are lucky here with our fire department. They are not only quick to respond to an event, but they practice their skills. Last year I was able to catch photos of them setting controlled burns for training.
They start the burn
Teams move in
The fire is monitored and then put out. Our battalion is pretty impressive.
The Battalion is there in full force
So, if you find yourself this summer in a wooded area, please use care and help preserve the beauty of the forests! And remember:
Smokey the Bear
Only you can prevent forest fires!
Life in the Foothills 
Yes it is very scary and you do have to be diligent. Let’s hope for some early rain for you.
Right now in the 100’s again. Melting….Rain does not come until October/November.
Fires are one of those “two edged sword” situations. As another commentor stated they are good ecologically but bad for animals or people that live in high fire damger areas. Folks with common sense are not a worry, it’s usually those that lack it that can cause great harm and damage. Only a few weeks ago some “bozo” decided fireworks were needed and caused a 300 to 400 acre fire and burned down someone elses house on top of that. DUH! We have no control over nature causing a fire and people need to be constantly aware that matches, cigarettes, hot exhaust from cars, motorcycles or lawn mowers can cause devastation.
Thanks for sharing this Smokey reminder.
We currently have bush fires burning in Northern New South Wales and Southern Queensland. I know when you have fires and also in Southern California we often send firefighters over to assist. I hope you don’t have a bad season. The problem is that fires are helpful ecologically. It’s sad though when humans and animals are hurt or killed.
I seem to recall Smokey the Bear commercials on TV when I was a kid. There was a jingle and, yes, I recall that it Smokey saying, “Remember, only YOU can prevent forest fires!” Thanks for the memory and good luck staying safe from the fires.
i hope that you get some early rains and miss even the tiniest fire. Z