Don't endanger us in pursuit of tax dollars

To the Editor:

On Wednesday, the county plans to push through Yosemite Under Canvas's development approval without essential fire protections.

The development includes 100 luxury tent structures with wood stoves, commercial kitchen, laundry facilities and campfire rings.

The developer and county dismiss the dangers of bringing hundreds of guests to a high fire risk location, where a single mistake can cause devastating consequences. They contend that fire protection isn't necessary because the structures are “temporary” and the tents are fire resistant.

Hasn't the Rim Fire taught us what one small fire mistake can do without means to quickly suppress it?

The county's clouded judgment is clear: They assert that building this lodge, with 200-plus guests, 100-plus wood fires, daily transport of hot ashes, commercial kitchen, and no firefighting water, hydrant system, sprinklers, or fire alarm monitoring, will be safer than the current undeveloped state of the site.

This logic doesn't pass the sniff test and unfairly endangers us all.

A fire starting upwind of us at YUC can be at Rush Creek Lodge, a few miles away, within hours. The only county firefighting resources are miles west of both lodges, meaning firefighters would have to drive past YUC through the fire to get to us.

In addition to requiring on-site firefighting capacity at YUC, county firefighting infrastructure must be built along Highway 120 before new developments are approved and constructed.

Don't allow the desire for tax revenues to put us in mortal danger. Require appropriate on-site firefighting infrastructure.

Lee Zimmerman Rush Creek Lodge owner