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defensible space
DEFENSIBLE SPACE “ “ Defensible space, along with home hardening, is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire!
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By Lori Kelley & GDRA Defensible Space Team
To help protect your home and surroundings, GDRA recently launched, in line with our Defensible Space Policy, a new Defensible Space Program. Staff has been hired to inspect all Glenshire/ Devonshire properties and you should expect to see them at your door through summer and fall. It is not feasible to inspect all properties this year, so we may see you next year. We do hope to recruit volunteer inspectors in the future to increase the impact of this program. Inspections will follow the State Public Resource Code 4291 which is a defensible space program requiring maintenance of vegetation on the property within the guidelines. This will be ongoing in our community as wildfire is a primary threat.
The easier to solve defensible space items include removing pine needles off your roof , removing pine needles and dead /downed material from the ground, remove vegetation and flammable items adjacent to or below decks. Regulations require that you clear 30 feet from your house. Please note, when using tarps to cover firewood, they should be of a natural or neutral color, no bright colors.
The inspection form and detailed descriptions can be found on our Firewise page at glenshiredevonshire.com so that you can review them and understand what defensible inspectors will be looking at. Inspectors will try to contact the landowner before inspecting a property. If any questions, please contact defensible space staff at defspace@glenshiredevonshire.com or 530.587.6202.
Defensible space, along with home hardening, is essential to improve your home’s chance of surviving a wildfire!
Mowing Mow before 10am, but never when it’s windy or excessively dry.
Lawn mowers are designed to mow lawns, not weeds or dry grass. Metal blades striking rocks can create sparks and start fires. Use caution.
Spark Arresters
In wildland areas, spark arresters are required on all portable gasoline-powered equipment. This includes tractors, harvesters, chainsaws, weed-eaters and mowers.
• Keep the exhaust system, spark arresters and mower in proper working order and free of carbon buildup.
• Use the recommended grade of fuel and don’t top it off.
Equipment Use
In wildland areas, grinding and welding operations require a permit and 10 feet of clearance. Keep a shovel and a fire extinguisher ready to use.
RIGHT THING, WRONG WAY.
Whether working to create defensible space around your home, just mowing the lawn, or pulling your dirt bike over to the side of the road, if you live in a wildland area you need to use all equipment responsibly. Lawn mowers, weed-eaters, chain saws, grinders, welders, tractors, and trimmers can all spark a wildland fire. Do your part, the right way, to keep your community fire safe. • Don’t drive your vehicle onto dry grass or brush. Hot exhaust pipes and mufflers can start fires that you won’t even see – until it’s too late!
• Keep a cell phone nearby and call 911 immediately in case of fire.
NOTE FROM GDRA: PLEASE KEEP DRY
GRASSES 4 INCHES OR UNDER IN HEIGHT. PLEASE USE WEED EATERS AND ALL GAS EQUIPMENT BEFORE 10AM.
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PUBLIC SAFETY POWER SHUTOFF
Preparing for the Possibility
Liberty is working year-round to mitigate the risk of a wildfire caused by electrical infrastructure. While we are making great strides to address the safety and reliability of our grid, extreme fire conditions may still warrant preemptive de-energization measures, also known as a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS). Therefore,
What Constitutes Extreme Fire Weather?
A PSPS is reserved for times when fire weather conditions are at their most extreme, and de-energizing a portion of the electrical grid is the prudent decision to best protect our customers, communities, and the environment.
Many of the same factors that are used by fire agencies to determine a Red Flag warning are also considered when determining if weather conditions warrant a PSPS. Liberty has deployed weather stations throughout the service area and collaborates with a fire and weather scientific consultant, the National Weather Service in Reno, Nevada, and local fire officials to monitor real-time local weather conditions to evaluate when to activate a PSPS.
No single factor will drive a PSPS. A combination of factors reaching or exceeding set limits drives whether a PSPS will be initiated. Some of these factors include:
• Low Humidity Levels – Potential fuels are more likely to ignite when there is a lower amount of water vapor in the air.
• Forecast Sustained Winds and Gusts – High winds can result in several factors that may cause a fire to ignite. Sustained winds
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• Dry Fuel Conditions – Trees and other vegetation act as fuel for wildfires. Fuels with low moisture levels ignite easily and spread rapidly, as no heat energy is wasted trying to drive water out of the fuel.
• Red Flag Warnings – The National Weather Service issues these warnings to alert of the onset, or possible onset, of critical weather or dry conditions that would lead to swift increases in wildfire activity.
How do I Prepare?
Once you have confirmed your contact information is current, PSPS preparation is not much different from any power outage preparation. Customers should consider the following, so that their homes, businesses, and families are prepared:
• Plan for medical needs that may be impacted by a power shutoff, including medications that need refrigeration or devices that require power. Be sure to register any medical-related energy needs at 1.800.782.2506.
• Create an emergency kit, including flashlights, batteries, first aid supplies and maps of the local area. For additional emergency kit necessities, consult Ready.gov.
• Store non-perishable foods and water to support your family and pets for a minimum of 48 hours.
• Keep a full tank of gas or a fully charged battery for your vehicle, as gas and charging stations may be affected by a power outage
• Keep cash available, as ATMs and credit card machines may be unavailable during a power outage.
• Be sure phones and other critical electronic devices are charged, and consider investing in a backup battery or power source, potentially one that can recharge with solar.
Liberty’s top priority is the safety of customers and our communities, and we take precautions to keep our beautiful region safe from the risk of wildfire. To learn more about our wildfire mitigation program, call 1.800.782.2506 or visit LibertyUtilities.com.
How Will We Know if a PSPS is Activated?
Advance notification is critical in any PSPS scenario, and Liberty will alert customers, public safety partners, the community, and others at the earliest opportunity. When possible, Liberty will directly notify customers of a PSPS approximately 48 hours before power is shut off, 24 hours before power is shut off, just before power is shut off, during the PSPS, and once power has safely been restored. Direct notification is the best, most effective way to keep customers apprised of a PSPS event. We strongly encourage every customer to call Liberty at 1.800.782.2506 to confirm their contact information is current. If you have a friend or loved one with access and functional needs, help them update their contact information, and consider adding yourself as a secondary contact. Customers with medical equipment that relies on electricity may be eligible for the medical baseline allowance, and those enrolled may also receive priority PSPS information. Call 1.800.782.2506 to see if you qualify.
In addition to direct PSPS notifications and updates, Liberty will post outage information at www.libertyutilities.com, as well as on Facebook (@LibertyUtilitiesLT) and Twitter (@LibertyUtil_CA).
Knowing if a PSPS event is coming, how long it will last, and whom it will affect is an important first step to being prepared for and
Lee Kiolbasa,
Emergency Manager, Liberty Utilities
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