In mountain communities, wildfires are a major hazard. The May 11 Good Morning Truckee brings together a trio of experts to help the community be aware of how to prepare and resources to stay safe.

While wildfires are a natural part of California’s landscape, the fire season in California and across the West is starting earlier and ending later each year and this year will be no exception. Last year California saw almost 10,000 wildfires, 5 million acres burned and over 10,000 homes lost or damaged. With a severe drought on the way and an unprecedented amount of fire fuels in the wildland urban interface, this year is shaping up to set more records, unfortunately.

Cal Fire Unit Chief Brian Estes will give us a wildfire prediction of the upcoming fire season and share how the State firefighting agency is preparing statewide and in our area.

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The pandemic has created a strong desire for people to recreate outside which creates wildfire challenges such as more dispersed campers. Truckee District Ranger Jonathan Cook-Fisher will talk about how to camp responsibly during fire season and how the Forest Service uses prescribed fire to prevent big fires later.

Truckee Fire Protection District Chief Bill Seline will discuss the steps residents can take now to assess their wildfire risk, safeguard their homes and prepare for wildfire, including creating defensible space, green waste options, putting together a “Go Bag”, ensuring you know your evacuation routes, and how to sign up for emergency alert notifications through Nixle.

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Viewers can participate through Zoom, watch the livestream at Truckee.com/GoodMorningTruckee, tahoetruckeemedia.org, or watch on Suddenlink Channel 18. The session will be recorded and available for viewing at a later date.

You can email your Stump Speech to Lynn@Truckee.com by Monday, May 10 at 5 p.m. and it will be read at the end of the program. Stump speeches should be able to be read in one minute or less.

Good Morning Truckee is a community forum to provide timely, relevant information on a variety of topics. It is open to the public – everyone is invited free of charge. It is held the second Tuesday of every month virtually from 7:30-8:30 a.m.

Whether you are new to the community or have lived here for years, hearing from our leaders in the community is an enjoyable way to stay on top of important issues, connect and engage. One of the great things about living in a small community like Truckee is that you can personally know your leaders and work with them to make a difference.