Dr. Jo Ann Fites

There is an imminent threat to life from growing tree mortality issues in the county. Its increasingly impacting fire access and evacuation routes, defensible space, and partner fuel reduction and mitigation projects. I have vigorously communicated my concerns with Nevada County Office of Emergency Services (OES) and my county supervisor. I am very concerned about […]

Today is National Wildland Firefighter Day. It’s a great reminder to reflect on the brave and dedicated wildland firefighters in our county, state, country and all across the world. Yes, sometimes we get help from afar including Australia and New Zealand. The Rices Fire is a stark reminder of just how fortunate we are to […]

The United States is experiencing a federal wildland firefighter emergency. Meanwhile, the southwest is getting record-setting wildfires, the chief of the U.S. Forest Service says they have a 50% vacancy rate in western U.S. federal wildland firefighter positions. If you live near or plan on vacationing in a national forest or park, you should be […]

The River Fire is a sobering reminder of the extreme fires that can occur in high-risk areas such as Nevada County and many other parts of California. My heart goes out to those who lost homes in the fire. I know many people had worked hard to improve defensible space around their homes and harden […]

There are plenty of things all of us disagree on. But one thing we can agree on is that wildland firefighters do a vitally important job in dangerous, challenging conditions. Fighting fires outdoors in hot, increasingly very hot, steep and rugged areas is extremely difficult. It requires extensive training and experience to develop the expertise […]

February 4, 2020 – Public interest in Sierra Nevada wildfires is at an all-time high. Recent fire seasons, which included everything from the most destructive wildfire in California’s history, the Camp Fire, to prolonged periods of unhealthy air quality and multi-day power shutoffs, have many wondering what solutions exist to change this. The Tahoe National […]