Greenwood/Elk
Get prepared for fire season now
Submitted by Wendy Babbe: Your Elk Emergency Planning Committee hopes you have all had a peaceful winter and are enjoying our lovely spring weather. We are writing to tell you that we are deeply concerned about fire season this year. To best serve you, we will be highlighting one topic a month to help you prepare for what may be coming our way. Scientists claim we are beginning the sixth year of a mega-drought not only in California but in most of the western states.
Elk has only received about 25 percent of our normal rainfall at this point in the year, which is terrifyingly low with just several weeks left in our rainy season to catch up. Some in our community are having to purchase water already, as their wells are dry.
Last year, we were extremely fortunate that the monsoons coming up from the Gulf of Mexico and the southern tip of California passed right over us, but sent hundreds of lightning strikes down into communities along the 101 Corridor and east toward the Sierra.
We’ve all seen the footage on the news, scenes of the town of Paradise and other small communities completely engulfed in flames with hot embers being blown up to two miles from the burn areas. These embers start their own new fires and eventually culminate into large “complex” fires. When fires grow this large they consume their own borders and merge into one huge firestorm.
Fire experts tell us there is no viable “shelter in place” with these types of fires. For the most part, they are un-survivable as they burn too hot and move too quickly. They tell us we must evacuate and be quick to do so. Have your go bags and emergency kits by the door ready to go.
Pack bags for your children, your seniors, and your pets along with plenty of water and survival foods. And don’t forget all your legal and financial documents should the worst happen. You will need all that information to get financial assistance and get back on your feet as quickly as possible.
While it may seem early, now is the time to get those go bags and emergency kits put together. If you’ve already done so, now is the time to go through them and replenish your water, your batteries, medications, snacks, and anything else perishable. Posted on the Elk Community Services District website (elkcsd.org) is the handout we produced for the Elk Survival Fair.
Click on Emergency Preparedness on the left side of the page and look for the Survival Fair document. Here you will find detailed instructions on how to prepare go bags and emergency kits, comprehensive lists of items to put in your bags, and kits for adults, seniors, children and pets.
Taking this step is one of the most important things you can do to save your life. And if the worst should happen, you will have all the things you need to survive away from home for several days as well as the documents and paperwork needed to start your insurance claims and apply for financial assistance. Please, for the sake of your family and loved ones, do this now.