Just wanted to send out some positive thoughts and let those of you in the South Lake Tahoe area that we're thinking of you , wishing for a fast resolution to this fire. We have a family home on the North Shore and it could just as easily be happening to us...
For those of you not following the news, as of Monday afternoon the so called "Angora" fire has burned over 2500 acres, and has burned more than 225 homes. "This is the fire we've been fearing" said a local fire district representative. This is the worst fire this region has seen in over half a century. Entire streets in the South Lake Tahoe region have been burned to the ground. More information can be found at the Sierra Sun site: http://www.sierrasun.com/ or at http://www.tahoedailytribune.com/. You can get continuous coverage by clicking here.
This whole thing is bring up a very "hot" topic of clearing the forests of fuel. Some are saying this fire has spread so fast and so easily because we are years behind in clearing the forests of the fuel these fires so desperately need.
If you live in a fire prone area there are some things you can do. Here from an excerpt from a Sierra Sun article:
"It's extremely important to get defensible space; there are not enough engines to go around for all the houses, they have to depend on the materials and design to help," said Battalion Chief Dave Ruben of the North Tahoe Fire Protection District.
Engine crews have had to pick and choose the homes they protect, and often skip those without defensible space, Miller said.
Roofing material is also important - while a noncombustible roof has a 70 percent survival rate, a wood-shingle roof only has a 20 percent survival rate, Pang said.
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As REALTORS, perhaps if we have clients living in high fire danger areas, maybe we should take this time to remind our clients of these tips, and/or provide a list of service providers of those that can provide help in this regard.
Here's an article and a recap of that article about what you can do too, from Woodside's Fire Department website:
http://www.woodsidefire.org/safehome.html
1. Replace untreated wood shake roofs
2. Remove all debris and dead vegetation from roof and gutter on a regular basis
3. Remove tree limbs within 10' of your home and roof
4. Be sure to install screens on your attic and foundation vents
5. Install a spark arrestor on your chimney
6. Don't store combustible material too near your home i.e. firewood
7. Be sure you have your address visible from the street
8. Remove all dead and overgrown vegatation
9. Create defensible space around your home - no less than 30 feet, and depending upon the slope of your lot it may increase your need for defensible space to as much as 100 feet.
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