HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE, Calif. – An event to help south county community members be ready in case of wildland fire will take place in Hidden Valley Lake on Saturday.
The third annual Wildfire Community Preparedness Day event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Hidden Valley Lake campground, located at Hartmann and Hidden Valley roads.
The local event is part of the National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day sponsored by State Farm and the National Fire Protection Association, according to State Farm-Northern California spokesman Sevag Sarkissian.
Sarkissian said the preparedness day will feature individuals, small groups, and neighborhood or community-based organizations implementing projects to reduce wildfire risk, advance general wildfire preparedness or minimize post-fire impacts from a recent wildfire.
Phil Bayles, a South Lake Fire Safe Council Board member who is organizing the local preparedness event, said participating agencies include the Red Cross, California Highway Patrol, Cal Fire, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and REACH, along with and State Farm.
There will be free hot dogs and popcorn, a “kids corner” booth including face painting, a visit from Smokey Bear, fire prevention videos and other information for community members about how to be fire safe, Bayles said.
“It should be pretty fun,” he said.
Visitors will learn about weed abatement requirements and creating defensible space, and get advice on landscaping in Lake County’s unique environment, according to Bayles.
Bayles said there also will be an explanation of what to expect during an evacuation, how to sign up for NIXLE alerts, insurance information, evacuation maps, signups for REACH helicopter services, and details of how emergency response is coordinated between Hidden Valley Lake Security, Cal Fire and the Lake County Sheriff.
Originally, there had been plans to demonstrate six new emergency sirens to be located around Hidden Valley Lake, however Bayles said the sirens – which will be located on the top of telephone poles – haven’t yet been installed.
Bayles retired to Hidden Valley Lake after a career in the U.S. Forest Service. Over the years he had worked across the Western United States in a variety of roles, including forester, firefighter and timber marker.
Three years ago, he got involved with starting the preparedness event. “It was something I felt a personal interest in.”
That first event was held not long before the September 2015 Valley fire, which swept through the south county, burning more than 1,300 homes and leading to a weeks-long evacuation for residents. The Valley fire is the third most damaging fire in California history.
Bayles said about 70 homes were lost in Hidden Valley Lake, where some rebuilding and a lot of remodeling of existing homes is taking place.
He said his hope is that if there is another fire, events like the one slated for Saturday will help people be better prepared.
“All of us were pretty traumatized by the Valley fire and anything we can do to make it safe for everybody, that’s our goal,” he said.
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Third annual Wildfire Community Preparedness Day planned May 6
- Elizabeth Larson
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