The motto for the Boy Scouts is Be Prepared. Living here in Copperopolis we need to ask ourselves are we prepared for a fire?
Last summer the historic Dardanelle Store and Resort unexpectedly burned to the ground. It is now has a temporary facilities but its loss underscores all our collective concern. The Modesto Bee interviewed the owner:
“When she heard the Donnell fire jumped Highway 108 on Sunday night, Laurelin Coggins Lewis’ heart sank. There was a window of time when Lewis, who since May has owned the Dardanelle Resort with her husband, Jim, thought the wildfire might be just an inconvenience to their business.
For fortunately, so far this year we have been spared the destructive power of large fires but the fire season still is with us.
That fire, in the case of the Dardnelles, didn’t just inconvenience the business, it destroyed it for the time being. We are in a highly dangerous fire season and we all need to be sure we are prepared here in Copper Cove.
Creating a Defensible Space – Have you trimmed back your grass and eliminated any brush near your trees that could transmit a grass fire to your trees? This is a helpful hint provided by Cal Fire. More information is available on their website: www.fire.ca.gov
More information is available on Cal Fires special website with specific guidelines. Click here to view it
The site notes: “Creating defensible space is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire. It’s the buffer you create between a building on your property and the grass, trees, shrubs, or any wildland area that surround it. This space is needed to slow or stop the spread of wildfire and it protects your home from catching fire—either from direct flame contact or radiant heat. Defensible space is also important for the protection of the firefighters defending your home.”Copper Fire – Also you should have information on the Copperopolis Fire Department located at 370 Main St, Copperopolis, CA 95228 Phone: (209) 785-2393 Dial 911 for Emergencies!Stay Informed – CopperCove.Org is now carrying hourly updates of MyMotherLode.com. You can also log on to the Cal Fire Website by clicking this link. This link will provide access to all active fires in California.