Dunsmuir Fire Safe Council on the Land Conservation Assistance Network

Dunsmuir Fire Safe Council
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last updated: January 2022

Meetings: Held the 2nd Thursday of the month at 1:00 PM in the Dunsmuir City Council Chambers. Call to confirm.

Dunsmuir Fire Safe Council Missions and Objectives

Mission Statement To reduce the effects of disastrous fire to the City of Dunsmuir's urban-wildland interface: including the valley and the ridgelines to the east and west, through community education, fuel redution projects and partnerships with private and public stakeholders.

Objectives
Community assistance is the objective so firefighters can best protect our homes and the natural resources of the Upper Sacramento Basin.

To achieve this objective the Dunsmuir Fire Safe Council intends to do the following:

Reduce the fuel load which exists in our community by facilitating the treatment of four aspects of the wildfire fuel overload.
- Cut weeds
- Trim trees
- Build woodsheds
- Stack wood in a safe manner
Organize residents for evacuation in case of emergency and to facilitate community participation in decision-making.

We are working to identify residents with special needs who would need help to evacuate during an emergency or who cannot do the work necessary to make their property fire safe.

Our list of interested residents would like help in order to make their residences and property more fire safe.

The manner of achieving these objectives will be

I. To cut dead vegetation in any area in town that needs it. Special attention is paid to land joining Caltrans right of way with residential areas. There is a high incidence of vehicle related fires in the summertime. One year a hot wheel spun off the freeway and burned the embankment behind a block of houses.
II. To make Shaded Fuel Breaks on forest areas in town, especially on properties on the town’s perimeter, next to the unpopulated forest. Volunteers pick up downed debris, hand trim dead lower limbs of trees to levels recommended by CDF and thin dead vegetation.
III. Trim trees of dead branches which routinely hang down from trees 100 feet tall. These branches can impede fire engines from reaching their destination as well as transmit fire from dry vegetation to residential structures. Branches which come within 10 feet of smokestacks will be trimmed.
IV. Wood should be stacked over ten feet from residences.

The Dunsmuir area is composed of private landowners, both in the city and in the surrounding hills.

There are a large percentage of homeowners who need assistance to comply with state laws. Many are disabled, elderly, aged, and unskilled with special needs and would benefit from free or reduced costs to trim the lower branches of the trees on their land and any stray overhanging branches.

Existing Fire Safe measures taken by the community.
Over 85% of the homeowners of Dunsmuir have installed metal or asphalt shingled roofs which are fire-resistant. There are very few wood shake roofs in town. Homeowners routinely trim limbs which hang over their houses; however fires have started from damage to electric lines because professional help was needed. Grant money would help the Fire Safe Council provide professional help.

Plan of Action
I. Cut weeds-Fire Safe Council volunteers cut weeds around town. Whenever possible youth will be included in order to teach the work ethic.
II. Make Shaded Fuel Breaks-Equipment costs have been requested through a grant from Roseburg Resources Company and The Ford Family Foundation. Volunteers will cooperate with homeowners on the perimeter of town to reduce the fire ladder effect produced by uncut lower forest vegetation..
III. Trim Trees-Application will be made to the Shasta Regional Foundation to fund a grant so a contractor can be paid to use a bucket truck to trim the beautiful trees that make Dunsmuir so charming.

Board of Directors
Chairperson: Michael Refkin;
Administrative Assistant : Therese Swenson ;
Treasurer: Juanita Padilla;
Board Member Project Manager; John Kessler-
Thanks-Ana Mulvaney Member Emeritus

To reduce the effects of disastrous fire to the City of Dunsmuir's urban-wildland interface: including the valley and the ridgelines to the east and west, through community education, fuel redution projects and partnerships with private and public stakeholders..

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Dunsmuir Fire Safe Council is not employed by or affiliated with the Land Conservation Assistance Network, and the Network does not certify or guarantee their services. The reader must perform their own due diligence and use their own judgment in the selection of any professional.