Wildfire Preparedness Tour

Saturday, October 30th
​10am-3pm

Each participating property features unique fire safe home improvements and welcomes those seeking advice.

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How the tour works:

• Browse the map below of participating properties throughout Plumas County and choose which fire safe features interest you.
• Navigate to the provided address.
• Meet with the property owner for an exterior tour, ask questions, and make connections.

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Indian Valley

Address: 1200 Lower Williams Valley Road, Greenville, CA 95947
Community: Indian Valley  
Hosts: Hugh & Joy Brown
Parking specifications: 

• Williams Valley Road turns into Lower Williams Valley Road. Don’t make any turns off of Williams Valley Rd. You will see a stop sign then up ahead is a cul-de-sac. Go through this to our driveway. Park where is convenient. 

Fire Safe Features:

• 2,500 gallon water tank is positioned up hill and is gravity fed allowing for Fire Suppression without external power
• Continuing maintenance and forward progress with fuel reductions for the past 20 years and continuing today
• Fire breaks/hose lays/water swales
• Large circular driveway for easy fire engine ingress and egress
• Creation of tree islands surrounded by fuel breaks
• ​​Creation of shaded fuel breaks between this property and all other adjourning properties that have NOT been thinned
• Year round creek available for fire suppression
• Clearly posted fire fighting signage to facilitate effective fire fighting efforts
• Roof top signage to clearly identify property owner to fire fighting aircraft
• Portable generator to power pump house
• Bailer/trash pump to bail or pump water from well

What you should know about this property:

• This property and all buildings are an example of the 20 years of constant fuels reduction management. 
• ​Survived the Dixie Fire that swept through Greenville. All of our adjacent neighbors' land totally burned to the ground. Our lawn even stayed green. 

Address: 19301 Valley View Dr. Greenville 95947
Community: Indian Valley
Host: Jeff Greef
Parking specifications: 

• Home is located a half mile up the road from the highway. Go left of the burned house on the right, continue up. Park anywhere in the green near the red roofed cabin and outbuildings.

Fire Safe Features:

• Ten acres thinned
• Three acres were underburned 
• All buildings on property are hardened with fire resistive materials 
• 2,500 gallon water tank
• Extensive buffer areas of reduced fuels around home to reduce fire intensity 

What you should know about this property:

• This property and homes are an example of the effectiveness of fuels reduction and buffer zones - survived the Dixie Fire when it came through Indian Valley.

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Mohawk Valley

Address: 1171 Smith Creek Ranch, Graeagle, CA 96103
Community: Smith Creek Ranch 
Host: Andrea Irving
Parking specifications: 

• Wherever is convenient

Fire Safe Features:

• Ongoing work on fuels reduction throughout the 10 acres
• Ample maneuverability for fire vehicles along the drive and around the home  
• Extended defensible space for firefighters to safely defend
• Whole house generator which will keep lights on and water well functioning for defense
• Hardscape around entire structure 
• Home hardening upgrades such as metal siding on Southeast side of home 
• Mister installed along eaves on one side 
• Firewood storage screened in to keep embers out

What you should know about this property:

• We are included in the Mohawk Fuels reduction project, we take advantage of the chipping program and we utilize the Graeagle dump.

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Sloat/Cromberg

Address:  58834 Little Long Valley Creek Road, Cromberg, CA 96103 (200 yards north of Highway 70, directly across from Long Valley Fire Department)
Community: Sloat/Cromberg
Host: Steve McDowell
Parking specifications: 

• Can easily accommodate 10-12 cars either around the home or on the vacant property just to the North of the house.

Fire Safe Features:

• Firewood storage enclosures
• 1/8" foundation vent screens

• Fuel reduction in the form of tree thinning for defensible space​

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Quincy Area

Address: 2601 Ridgerun Road, Quincy CA 95971
Community: Galeppi Ranch 
Host: Ryan Tompkins 
Parking specifications:

• Park on Ridgerun Road near the upper brown shed

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Fire Safe Features:

• Defensible space and fuels reduction 
• Hardscaping around home
• Home hardening with non-flammable siding
• Wooden attachments (fences/decks) with metal fire breaks
• Fire line cut and maintained for future underburns
• Use of prescribed fire on property 

Address: 47111 Old Highway Road, Quincy CA 95971 (Thompson Valley)
Community: Quincy 
Host: Sally McGowan
Parking specifications:

• Park along the road and then meet on the driveway

Fire Safe Features:

• Old Highway Road Firewise Community
• First official underburn conducted by the Plumas Underburn Cooperative 
• Fuel reduction project known as the American Valley East Fuel Reduction Project
• Neighbors have made a lot of progress expanding their defensible space by limbing trees, thinning and underburning their properties

Address: 37868 Old Highway Rd., Quincy CA, 95971 (Near the Cascade trail head)
Community: Keddie 
Host: Saylor Flett
Parking specifications: 

• Pull through parking lot/driveway. People may drive in and find a convenient spot, or they may park on the street in front of the property. 

Fire Safe Features:

• Type 1 Engine access, with a pull through and turn around. It is also connected to the back of the neighbor’s property to provide alternate escape routes. The neighborhood has 2 separate roads in and out for multiple ingress/egress points.
• Major fuels reduction work. 94 burn piles, 9 cords of firewood cut and collected, and 3500 board feet of lumber milled on site. 
• Preparation for prescribed fire broadcast burning. 
• Two water pumps and a 2,500 gallon tank to create a 50,000 gallon water system (without adding more gas) that utilizes riparian rights on Spanish creek. The tank has a fire engine draft line hookup on it.
• Hardscaping and landscaping on the perimeter of the house.
• 100 feet of defensible space
• Two Tesla powerwalls that will run the well pump during power outages. 
• Wifi based mister system under the eaves to be turned on and off remotely (eg. while under evacuation).
• Plywood covered vents - looking to make aluminum shutters. 
• Structure wrap that can be placed over windows and doors. 

What you should know about this property:

• Drafted a petition for the neighborhood that states we support fuels reduction work to reintroduce prescribed fire to our landscape.

Address: 48545 State Hwy 70 Quincy, CA 95971
Community: Quincy  
Host: Sean Hines
Parking specifications:

• Gate opens automatically, park wherever is convenient.

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Fire Safe Features:

• Defensible space and fuel reduction on 10 acres
• Adjoins forest service property and will begin fuels reduction this burn season 
• Full circular turn arounds that can handle large type fire engines 
• Complete hose lay with sprinklers on and in some structures  
• Hand strike lines around structures. 
• Portable generator to power the water pump during power outages