Fire

P.O. Box 160 • Petrolia, CA 95558
(707) 629-3514 Fax: (707) 629-3577
mrc@mattole.org

P.O Box 223 • Whitethorn, CA 95589
Phone and Fax: (707) 986-1078
upriver@mattole.org

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Topic: Fire

"She's hot!" says Jim Danisch. Oma Chase burns slash on Cook Ridge.

Photo: Jim Danisch

Many Mattole residents feel uneasiness each year in the dry season. As late afternoon winds arise, and the dry, yellow grass waves wildly, a question on your or your neighbor’s mind might be: will this be the year a wildfire races through our valley? Will we be able to control it? How much will be lost? How can we prevent it? (read more)

Meet the Lower Mattole Fire Safe Council

Here's what a few members of the new Fire Safe Council had to say about fire in their neighborhoods. If you have concerns about your own neighborhood, give your representative a call! The Fire Safe Council will also include representatives from the Bureau of Land Management, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, California State Parks, Honeydew Volunteer Fire Company, and Petrolia Volunteer Fire Department.(read more)

Lower Mattole Valley Fuels Reduction Planning Project: Schedule of Community Meetings
Introductory Lower Mattole Fire Safe Council Meeting, Mattole Grange, Tuesday, January 8, 2002, 6:30 pm (read more)

After one of the driest summers on record, the Mattole Restoration Council will be working with lower Mattole Valley residents to plan fuels reduction projects and to improve the fire safety of our neighborhoods. The MRC has hired Ian Sigman, and Tracy Katelman to undertake this effort. Ian Sigman, Chief of the Honeydew Volunteer Fire Company will be coordinating the project in the upper area, from Wilder Ridge towards Petrolia. Tracy Katelman, a Registered Professional Forester, will coordinate the project in the greater Petrolia area. (read more)

If you store fuel
• Store petroleum products in “safe” containers. “Safe” means no sign of rust or rot, double-walled preferred, with tight valves, in a secure place. (read more)

Taking preventative measures to equip yourself for a spill:
Taking preventative measures to equip yourself for a spill:MRC researched various kits that could be used to contain a spill. You can now purchase absorbent materials for spills that do not absorb water. In light of astronomical cleanup costs, this may be one of the wisest investments you will ever make: (read more)

Native Mattolians Managed With Fire
The issue of whether or not to burn and how to accomplish safe and productive burning is not new to the Mattole. Native American communities within the watershed practiced frequent burning on the landscape for thousands of years. Whereas current forest and land management prescriptions are concerned with end-result conditions, the Native American practices encompassed diverse physical and cultural needs of their communities. Their success at making a living in the Mattole for those thousands of years while leaving abundant salmon runs and healthy grasslands and forests makes it imperative that we understand how and why they succeeded. (read more)

Last modified:
14 January, 2004