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 