You Bet, Calif. — With above-normal large fire activity forecast for California by July and August, You Bet Firewise Community is hosting a residents-only gathering on Saturday, June 27, at Chicago Park Fire Station #57, 18934 Colfax Highway, Grass Valley.
Coffee and scones will be available for early arrivers beginning at 8:30 a.m. The program begins at 9:00 a.m. Residents are encouraged to come early, meet neighbors, compare notes, and make connections. Please carpool if possible.
This gathering is for the people who live here, drive these roads, and will be directly affected if fire, smoke, evacuation orders, power outages, blocked roads, or fast-moving conditions hit the You Bet area.
If you use You Bet Road to get home, you’re one of us.
The moderated panel will focus on the realities You Bet residents need to face now: roads that choke, fire that moves fast, alerts that require fast action, evacuation decisions that cannot wait, animals that need a plan, and neighbors who need to know each other before an emergency.
Residents will also take part in an interactive session to share ideas, questions, concerns, road observations, and local knowledge. A major goal is simple: help residents meet each other before there is an emergency.
You Bet has one primary road in and out, over 80 private roads, dense vegetation, limited access in some areas, and a large number of residents spread across a complicated rural landscape. Our approach is to prepare for worst-case scenarios, including the possibility that some residents may not be able to evacuate out of You Bet.
“This is the meeting for the people who actually live with You Bet’s fire reality,” said Kristen Cook, You Bet Firewise Community lead. “Everyone knows fire is coming someday. We can’t control that. But we can control what the fire finds when it gets here. We all need to be honest about our roads, our limits, our options, and what we can still do before July and August.”
After the panel and resident session, attendees can visit information tables and talk with local partners and program leads. Booths will include You Bet Firewise Community programs such as prescribed fire, communications, GMRS radios, home and property assessments, and N5 smoke sensors, along with information from OES, CAL FIRE, the American Red Cross, HEART, Sierra Streams Institute, Know-Wildfire, and other preparedness partners.
“Working together, You Bet is more prepared than we’ve ever been,” Cook said. “And yet, we have a long way to go. Together, we will get there.”
Event Details
| Event | You Bet Firewise Gathering |
| Date | Saturday, June 27 |
| Coffee & scones | 8:30 a.m. |
| Program begins | 9:00 a.m. |
| Location | Chicago Park Fire Station #57, 18934 Colfax Highway, Grass Valley |
| Audience | You Bet residents |
| Who should attend | Anyone who uses You Bet Road to get home |
| Parking | Please carpool if possible |
For more information, residents can contact You Bet Firewise Community at: YouBetFirewise@gmail.com
Acknowledgments
You Bet Firewise Community thanks our hosts, Peardale Chicago Park Fire Protection District, and our agency and community partners: the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services, CAL FIRE, the American Red Cross, Nevada County Sheriff’s Office Evacuation Team, HEART, Sierra Streams Institute, and Know-Wildfire for supporting this gathering.
About You Bet Firewise Community
You Bet Firewise Community is a resident-led wildfire preparedness effort serving the You Bet area of Nevada County. Together, You Bet residents are working to become a more fire-adapted community: better prepared to evacuate when we can, safer when we cannot, more connected in emergencies, and more committed to caring for the land we call home.