June 17, 2024 – Time for the yearly refresher on what to do when you see smoke. Residential burn piles are done for the season, climate change and abundant vegetation growth may exacerbate fire danger at our elevation.
“Abundant, cured herbaceous fuels fanned by gustier-dry wind flows should provide heightened significant fire potential at times across the Sacramento Valley-Foothills Predictive Service Area.” according to the NorthOps outlook.
An important rule: If you see flames or a huge smoke plume developing, call 911 before you call or text us!
Any plume of smoke is, of course, a cause for concern. But, what if you only smell smoke? Here are a few tips:
First, look around
If you smell smoke, first make sure you are safe. Check your location for any visible smoke or flames. Step outside, look around the immediate vicinity. Do you see flames or smoke billowing nearby? Leave the area and call 911. Report what you see, give a precise location i.e. street address and a cross street. Especially if you are calling from a cell phone, make sure you give the dispatcher your city and address. If you see a column of smoke or flames while driving and you don’t see first responders on scene, pull over to a safe area before calling.
Use common sense
During business hours, call your local fire department or CAL FIRE or the Forest Service if you are concerned about an unusual smoke buildup. Do not call 911 if you cannot see a column or flames, it could overwhelm the system and cause emergency calls to have a delayed response.
During fire season, smoke is often a part of daily life. In the early morning hours, only a faint odor and a light haze may be noticeable. As the day goes by, temperatures heat up and the trapped smoke will start to rise, intensifying the smell and reducing visibility.
At night, a breeze can have smoke waft into your house, apply the same rules as above. Look around you, step outside and assess the situation.
Firefighters will be dispatched to conduct a “smoke check” – therefore make sure you have as much information as possible. Especially on weekends, please check it’s not just your neighbor having a barbecue.
Avoid calls to the emergency services for updates on fires. The same goes for “where are the fire planes going?” Your local media is your best source for information – they are working in cooperation with the emergency services (Think #ReadyNevadaCounty for example) to get the word out.
Warming, cooking, and ceremonial fires are legal year round – as long as they are in designated fire ring/pit/BBQ type settings. Some exceptions apply in the South Yuba River canyon – fires on private property are prohibited until the end of declared fire season if no permanent water source is available. This applies mostly to unimproved parcels in the 1/4 mile corridor of the river – no water, no fire!
Fire services add the caveat that people are always responsible for any fire they light, legal or illegal. If a fire in a designated fire ring gets too big and ignites the surrounding area on fire, that person could be/will be held liable. Check for fire restrictions if you are recreating on public lands!
Emergency dispatchers get 911 calls all summer long from people reporting their neighbors having a small warming fire in the backyard, in a designated fire pit. It’s perfectly legal.
CodeRED emergency notifications
Code Red is a high-speed mass notification system designed to notify residents in the event of an emergency. We recommend you register to receive all possible alert notifications including: SMS/text, email, landline, cell phone, and TTY.
Code Red alerts emergency calls will originate from 866-419-5000. Non-emergency alert calls will originate from 855-969-4636. Text messages will originate from 218-350-0131. Please be sure to add all three CodeRED emergency alert numbers to your contacts. Residents can now text READYNEVADACOUNTY to 99411 to be linked directly to the sign up page. Please be sure to complete your registration at the link texted to you.
Make sure these numbers are excluded from your do not disturb settings by adding them to your favorites group (iOS) or with exceptions (Android.) You don’t want to miss these calls. Click here to register. If you need help signing up with Code Red please dial 211 or 1-833-DIAL211 for assistance.
Do you have more questions? Please see Nevada County’s CodeRED Frequently Asked Questions.
Know Your Zone
A supplemental tool called Genasys allows for more targeted evacuation notices.
Residents are asked to visit ReadyNevadaCounty.org/KnowYourZone to look up, remember, and document zone numbers for areas frequented in their daily lives as part of their Ready, Set, Go! plan. This could be home, school, work, or the residence of a loved one. In the event of a wildfire or other emergency situation, law enforcement and fire agencies issue evacuation warnings or evacuation orders noting the zone of the impacted areas.
Hi-Lo Sirens
Nevada County Sheriff, Grass Valley Police, and Nevada City Police have all installed sirens on their patrol cars and will only use them for evacuations. Familiarize yourself with the sound and immediately initiate you evacuation plan if you hear it. Nevada County Sheriff’s Office have created a video to help prepare you and your family.
Better safe than sorry
If you smell a strong “electrical” smell in your home, be aware of the possibility of wires shorting out and causing a fire, call 911.
If you notice power lines on the ground, never touch them as they could be energized. Call 911 and let the dispatcher know that power lines are on the ground. Firefighters need to know this information to be able to protect you and themselves from electrocution – and the utility company needs to be notified by dispatchers.
Once you have alerted the emergency services, you can always email news@yubanet.com, call 530-478-9600 or text 530-409-9888 to let us know too.
All large fires are constantly updated in our Fire News section and smaller, local incidents will be listed in the Happening Now running log.
Contact information for Nevada County fire departments
CAL FIRE
Readyforwildfire.org
Twitter: @CALFIRENEU
(530) 823-4904
Grass Valley Fire Department
grassvalleyfire.com
(530) 274-4370
Higgins Fire Protection District
higginsfire.org
(530) 269-2488
Nevada City Fire Department
nevadacityca.gov/pview. aspx?id=20712&catid=564
(530) 265-2351
Nevada County Consolidated Fire District
nccfire.com
Twitter: @NCCFIRE
(530) 265-4431
North San Juan Fire Protection District
nsjfire.org
(530) 292-9159
Ophir Hill Fire District
Ophirhillfire.org
(530) 273-8351
Peardale Chicago Park Fire Protection District
pcpfire.com
(530) 273-2503
Penn Valley Fire Protection District
pennvalleyfire.com
(530) 432-2630
Rough and Ready Fire Department
rrvfd.com
(530) 432-1140
Tahoe National Forest
fs.usda.gov/tahoe
Twitter: @Tahoe_NF
(530) 265-4531
Truckee Fire Protection District
Truckeefire.org
Twitter: @TruckeeFire
(530) 582-7850
Washington Fire & Rescue
(530) 265-4720
PS: Your Go bag is ready and you have a plan in case of a fire, right? Be smart and be safe!