NEVADA COUNTY, Calif. — By this time, exactly five months later, it's widely known the destruction the Camp Fire brought to a small, Northern California town. The wildfire, which still has no confirmed cause, tore through Paradise in November 2018, killing 85 people and destroying 14,000 homes in the process.
The complete elimination of a neighboring town has residents in Bitney Springs, a town west of historic downtown Nevada City, getting better prepared for fire season.
Scott Allen is organizing the efforts, getting together his neighbors — about 250 homes in Bitney Springs — to better understand the dangers and possibilities of what could come.
"People want to live in the forest, but you have that wildland interface and part of the risk is the fire risk," Allen said. "Part of the problem is that these roads were for riding on a mule. They weren't built to outrace a fire that's going 50 miles an hour. You can't do it."
Allen said he and his neighbors have been scouting the town, working in groups to determine who will need help during a fire, and what that help might look like.
On his property, he's made improvements such as clearing trees and his driveway.
"[The] big thing for the first responders is that they have to have a clear way to get into your house," Allen said. "Our fire chief says, 'You provide the defense. We'll provide the offense.' What that means is that you have a defensible space where a truck can get in safely."
Allen also wants his neighbors to get large reflective signs to let firefighters know during a fire whether they've evacuated or sheltered in place.
He's also working with neighbors on an emergency evacuation plan. They've even identified a property where they can all shelter in place.
"What we've learned from Paradise is that you have two choices," Allen explained. "You can try to stay where you are and have the fire storm blow over you, or you can evacuate ahead of the fire. And that's a decision every homeowner has to make."
Allen has held two informational meetings for his neighbors. He's posted information on a website created by his 10th grade son, Silas.
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