Group distributing tow chain covers to mitigate wildfire risk
An effort to create and distribute tow chain covers meant to help mitigate the chances of a spark leading to a wildfire received a boost recently with a $2,000 sponsorship from the Yuba Water Agency.
Yuba Water is working with the Yuba Watershed Protection and Fire Safe
Council on the process that sees volunteers convert old firefighter water hoses into tow chain covers. The sponsorship meant that the foothill group could cut and package an additional 200 tow chain covers and distribute them to members of the public at no cost, primarily through local campgrounds and stores.
“This is the sort of thing that you won’t even know if it works, because it prevents something catastrophic from happening,” said Randy Fletcher, a Yuba Water board member and Yuba County supervisor who represents communities in the foothills. “So, if even one of these tow chain cover kits prevents a catastrophic wildfire from sparking in the Yuba County foothills – or
anywhere for that matter – it’s worth it, without a doubt. My hope is that anyone who brings a boat or a trailer into Yuba County will be sporting tow chain covers, and reducing the likelihood of a fire in our backyard.”
Beverly Cameron Fildes, a volunteer with the Yuba Water Protection and Fire Safe Council, said the “No Spark” tow chain cover project began a few years ago when members of the group saw a Facebook post about a similar effort and wanted to do something locally. The group members put out a call for assistance and the community responded. She said Cal Fire and the United States Forest Service were both quick to offer a heavy duty
hose that was no longer useable as materials for the effort.
Cameron Fildes said the covers are intended to provide a barrier between metal tow chains and asphalt, thereby preventing sparks that could ignite dry roadside vegetation – what she said has become a common occurrence in the region.
“The importance of the covers can’t be minimized, particularly given the variety of vehicles that travel the foothills during our fire season,” Cameron Fildes said. “Remember, these aren’t just residents that are in the area. We have boaters and campers from far outside the county that bring boats, trailers, horse trailers and assorted other recreational items hitched to vehicles into the foothill area. If it has a tow chain, then it can potentially cause a fire.”
She said locations where the “No Spark” tow chain covers can currently be obtained include Ray Bradley’s Feed Store (Browns Valley), the Loma Rice Cal Fire station, Foothill Ace Hardware, the Dobbins Cal Fire station, the Smartsville Volunteer Fire station, Dobbins Farmers Market (Saturdays), the Fire Auxiliary thrift store (Dobbins), the Collins Lake store, Lost Nugget Gas Station (Camptonville), and Books and More (Brownsville). Cameron Fildes said they will also be available soon at the Dark Day boat launch at Bullard’s Bar.
For more information about the program, visit the group’s website at www. Yubafiresafe.org.