Elks Hill Firewise Community improves evac route
Volunteer members of the Elks Hill Firewise Community came together on Nov. 5 to improve the evacuation route for homeowners who live along the end of Elk Drive in Sonora.
The project was also made possible with support from the City of Sonora Public Works Department under the direction of Mike Lagomarsino, according to Mary Beth Twohey, resident leader of the Elks Hill Firewise Community, who led the project.
Twohey said a total of 60 cubic yards was cut over a period of four hours by the 14 people who volunteered for the project. The fuel was then hauled off with the help of the city Public Works Department.
“It was extremely satisfying, rewarding and a lot of fun to work together to improve our defensible space that is essential to increase our resistance to fires,” Twohey said.
Elks Hill Firewise Community members have completed 35 defensible-space clearing projects this year, with a total of 263.5 cubic yards of vegetation removed from the neighborhood, Twohey proudly reported.
The Firewise USA program under the National Fire Protection Association provides a framework and recognition for neighbors to collaborate on projects that reduce the threat of fire, similar to neighborhood watch but for fire prevention as opposed to crime.
Each community establishes a baseline by completing a risk assessment in areas of strength and areas at risk in their neighborhood, followed by an action plan to further educate the members in many areas such as home hardening, and evacuation preparedness.
“Establishing more Firewise communities can only empower us to work together to create safer neighborhoods,” Twohey said.
Anyone who lives in Tuolumne County and is interested in organizing and applying for your area to become a nationally recognized Firewise community should contact Karen Caldwell, the Tuolumne Firesafe Council Firewise coordinator at tcfirewise@gmail.com.