Fire safety and emergency preparation in St. Helena
With warmer, drier weather upon us, this is the time to remind our community of the need to focus on our wildfire preparedness efforts, and on remaining diligent about fire safety.
We all need to be extra careful with any flame or sparking device — as one spark, flame or ember at the wrong time or place is all it takes for a fire to get out of control.
Wildfires can have significant health and safety impacts, as well as impacts to our regional economy.
Potential fire impacts here are not limited to the flame aspects of fire, but also potential smoke and air quality issues as they relate to community health and safety, as well as potential large-scale "smoke taint" that could impact Napa County agricultural products like wine grapes.
Please keep this in mind with any barbecue, fire or smoking activity, as well as use of outdoor equipment use that could spark dry vegetation.
With the Fourth of July coming soon, this is also an important reminder that personal fireworks are illegal in Napa County due to high fire risk.
This is the time time to help ourselves and all our neighbors ensure that we all are prepared personally and within our households for wildfire season and other potential public emergencies. Here are the simple tools and tips we all should follow to keep ourselves and our community safe:
• Keep "go-bags" ready with water, clothing and essential documents.
• Make lists of essential items, keepsakes, documents and photos you may need to grab if ordered to immediately evacuate.
• Share with your family, friends and neighbors your family and household emergency plan.s
• Clear debris and excess vegetation, and consider home hardening and defensible-space efforts.
• Keep your vehicles fueled up and your cellphones charged up.
• Maintain and double-check your communication plans — checking devices, lists of emergency phone numbers, evacuation signs to inform emergency responders, etc.
• Check in with your neighbors to help with neighborhood preparedness.
If an evacuation is called for, it helps everyone to know your zone ahead of time. To learn more about your evacuation zone by looking up your address, please go to Zonehaven.com.
The St. Helena Fire Department, St. Helena Fire Safe Council, the Napa Community Organizations Active in Disaster (COAD), and Napa Communities Firewise Foundation can help with these efforts.
Learn more at:
St. Helena Fire Department - 707-967-2880, SHFDfire@cityofsthelena.org
Or you can contact St. Helena Fire Safe Council leaders:
Chris Warner: 415-309-9572, chrisjwarner52@gmail.com
Jeff Farmer: 707-227-8371, jfarmer@seedgrain.com
Thank you for the continued efforts towards community safety.
Disclaimer: I am submitting this correspondence as an individually elected public official in the position of mayor of St. Helena, but the opinions expressed herein are mine individually and do not represent the positions of the St. Helena City Council or the City of St. Helena.