El Dorado County Public Safety Digest

Following unanimous approval of the 2022 Capital Improvement Program, Ponderosa Road is going to get an upgrade for pedestrian safety. Sidewalks will be installed near the high school, with work starting as soon as 2023. The Board of Supervisors praised the project and offered matching funds to further it along.

Pacific Gas & Electric pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter and other charges in connection with the Zogg Fire, which killed four people and destroyed hundreds of homes in Northern California two years ago. A preliminary hearing was set for January.

New board member Michael Webb was sworn in at Georgetown Fire Protection District’s most recent meeting along with three new full-time staffers, including Andrew Gregory (engineer) and Ryan Purves (firefighter-paramedic).

El Dorado County has been awarded $3.3 million in fire prevention funds. which includes funding to remove timber from last year's Caldor Fire.

Fire restrictions are now in place for the City of South Lake Tahoe, beginning June 1 and continuing until further notice. No charcoal or wood fires are permitted within the city limits, with neighboring fire districts also expected to release similar restrictions shortly.

El Dorado County Fire Protection District’s public protection classification service rating will shift to Class 3 from Class 4, effective Aug. 1. The district is rated on a number of factors, and the lower the number, the better.

Residents are getting an annual refresher on what to do if they see or smell smoke, including an emphasis on calling 911 if you see a potential fire.

Efforts have been made to explain red flag warnings to residents—including what to do and what not to do when it comes to wildfire prevention.

Due to dry, hot conditions, Cal Fire has suspended all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within Alpine, Amador, El Dorado, Sacramento and San Joaquin counties. The ban, which went into effect May 23, continues until further notice.

Meeks Bay Fire Protection District is set to be annexed by North Tahoe Fire Protection District in Placer County. The district, which ranges from Emerald Bay to Tahoma in the Tahoe Basin, was one of several local districts to be rated as “limited” in its resources.

In the wake of the devastating Caldor Fire, Sierra-at-Tahoe is looking to the future and rebuilding the popular resort. Working closely with officials and developing new safety measures, the resort was unable to open for the 2021-22 season, but is hopeful for next winter.

California and Nevada are experiencing a third year of drought, and the Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team is attempting to get ahead of wildfires through an awareness campaign.

The El Dorado Hills Fire Board has voted to terminate a shared services agreement with the Rescue Fire Protection District Board and rescind a letter of intent regarding annexation to the El Dorado Local Agency Formation Commission.

This year figures to be a bad one for California wildfires. The driest regions include parts of the North Bay area and the northern Sacramento Valley, each devastated by major fires since 2017.

Fire Chief Clive Savacool has submitted his resignation, effective May 6. Savacool will be out on remaining paid time off in the interim, during which time Battalion Chief Jim Drennan will serve as acting chief.

The state auditor blasted the regulators who oversee wildfire safety at California’s major electric utilities, saying they signed off on flawed safety plans. He said the California Public Utilities Commission and the recently formed Office of Energy Infrastructure Safety haven’t gone far enough in demanding safety reforms from utilities.

The annual Sierra Nevada Watershed Improvement Program Summit brought together California leaders, scientists, and community and tribal leaders to discuss strategies for wildfire recovery and resilience.

El Dorado County is preparing for fire season with help from the El Dorado Hills Fire Department. The county Board of Supervisors approved a $250,020 renewal agreement to allow the EDHFD to conduct fire defensible space inspections.

In a ceremony years in the making, the El Dorado Hills Fire Department breaks ground on its new training center.

Two California congressional representatives, Tom McClintock and Doug LaMalfa, have introduced legislation directing the U.S. Forest Service to suppress wildfires on national forest system lands and end the policy of letting fires burn.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office is recruiting volunteers for the Sheriff’s Team of Active Retirees. The spring STAR Academy will run from March 21-31.

El Dorado County will continue to oppose FEMA’s decision to deny assistance for victims of the Caldor Fire. At the Feb. 8 Board of Supervisors meeting, District 2 Supervisor George Turnboo led the discussion on how to make a “strong” effort to obtain assistance.

The El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office Citizens’ Academy is now taking applications. The academy aims to familiarize local residents with different aspects of law enforcement and the role the Sheriff’s Office plays in the community.

Partners of the French Meadows Forest Restoration Project have wrapped up the third consecutive season of forest treatments in the Tahoe National Forest. The partnership treated roughly 1,000 acres using a combination of mastication, thinning, and prescribed fires.

Residents can begin their wildfire preparation journey by viewing educational Zoom workshops presented during the 2021 Lake Tahoe Wildfire Awareness Campaign. This campaign featured different workshops on how residents can reduce wildfire risk.

El Dorado Hills Community Park patrons will soon have a new security guard watchig the grounds: the Knightscope autonomous security robot, weighing in at 398 pounds.

The U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire, El Dorado Irrigation District and the El Dorado County Resource Conservation District gave a presentation on the Caldor Fire. The meeting was recorded and can be watched online.

Tahoe firefighters are telling stories of fighting the Caldor Fire in a new bilingual video, as well as a print version, to raise awareness and help future public safety workers.

The El Dorado Hills Fire Board recently voted 4-1 in favor of the EDH Fire Department taking the next step toward annexing the Rescue Fire Protection District.

FEMA has denied El Dorado County’s request for individual assistance for Caldor Fire victims. The California Office of Emergency Services is appealing the decision, and county staff are exploring other avenues of support and resources.

The BEAR League, Sustain Tahoe, the Conservation Society of California and an anonymous foundation have come together to produce and distribute a special magnetic sticker reminding residents and visitors the importance of properly securing trash and not feeding the bears.

The U.S. Forest Service Department has released the Burned Area Emergency Response summary. The area covered includes 1,735 miles of streams, 208 miles of trails and 1,051 miles of roads.