Firefighter News

The Graton Fire Protection Board of Directors has made a hard decision and declared the historic Green Valley School as surplus property. This one-room school house was created after the Fletcher family donated the land in 1869 to the school’s trustees and it served the West County community for a number of years. The Green Valley School was designated a Sonoma County Historic Building in 1992.

When the Hills Turn Brown, Think Fire Safety

Do you have a defensible perimeter around your house and property? Here are some suggestions from the California Division of Forestry:

Dear West County Residents:

The State Responsible Area Fees are once again making ready for their bills to arrive this summer. The following link to the SRA viewer is the tool to help us understand who these fees should have effected. The opposition to these fees has continued to grow. We will do our best to keep you informed as the situation develops.  http://www.bof.fire.ca.gov/sra_viewer/

Sonoma County is conducting a test of local tsunami warning communications systems on March 27 between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m as part of Tsunami Awareness Week, which is March 24-30, 2013,.  The test is a cooperative effort between National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the California Emergency Management Agency and local emergency management agencies in the coastal counties of California.

Assemblyman Kevin Jeffries today warned rural residents in Riverside and San Diego County to watch for errant fire tax bills from the new "State Responsibility Area (SRA) Fire Prevention Benefit Fee" program. "Residents who live in rural areas of California are receiving their rural fire tax bills in the mail, and many are discovering errors," said Jeffries. 

Burn Permit Suspension Still in Effect: CAL FIRE would like to remind all residents of Sonoma, Lake, Napa, Solano, Colusa, and Yolo Counties that the Burn Permit Suspension, issued on August 15, 2012, is still in effect. 

SRA Fire Fee (Assembly Bill 29) — More than 800,000 Californians who own property in wildfire country will begin receiving bills this week for a new annual fire-protection fee, rekindling outrage among rural residents and leading to a likely lawsuit seeking to overturn the surcharge.

SRA Fire Fee (Assembly Bill 29) — More than 800,000 Californians who own property in wildfire country will begin receiving bills this week for a new annual fire-protection fee, rekindling outrage among rural residents and leading to a likely lawsuit seeking to overturn the surcharge.

Safely enjoy the remaining days of summer and remember that we are approaching the critical phase of our typical fire season so be extra careful.

Just a reminder that ALL fireworks are illegal in Forestville. We want to thank everyone for understanding and the results have been no major incidents in recent years.

Be sure to use safe grilling practices as the peak months for grilling fires approach – June and July. Gas grills constitute a higher risk, having been involved in an annual average of 6,900 home fires in 2005-2009, while charcoal or other solid-fueled grills were involved in an annual average of 1,100 home fires.

Be sure to use safe grilling practices as the peak months for grilling fires approach – June and July. Gas grills constitute a higher risk, having been involved in an annual average of 6,900 home fires in 2005-2009, while charcoal or other solid-fueled grills were involved in an annual average of 1,100 home fires.

Pool Safety 

The warm weather is here! Prevent drownings and accidents around your pool by taking some prudent steps. You probably have a fence in place. Make sure it is sturdy and the gates self-close and self-latch. Any house doors leading to the pool area should have an audible alarm when the door opens, mounted out of reach of children. If possible, a secondary latch and self-closing mechanism should be installed that kids cannot reach as well. If possible lock gates and doors with a key that you keep inaccessible to children. However, even the best alarms, locks and fences won’t keep ambitious kids from getting into your back yard... I should know – my boys can climb just about anything. ASSUME that eventually some child will circumnavigate your security fortress and get into your back yard. It is not a matter of if, but when. The best defense is a vinyl pool cover that completely protects your pool. Manufacturers rate the covers to handle up to 750 pounds. Short of a knife (or the key), the kids are not getting into the pool. Covers are a small investment for the piece of mind and can be retrofitted for any pool size. Other options include pool motion alarms and motion sensor detectors. Never allow children to play around pools and keep toys away so they don’t lure kids too close. 

Dear West County Residents: The rains are hit and miss, please be extra careful on area roadways.