Local Residents in Old Wilkerson Work to Increase Wildfire Safety
Local Residents in Old Wilkerson Work to Increase Wildfire Safety
Nami Elliott’s home sits above the western side of the valley floor in Inyo County’s Old Wilkerson. When the Taboose Fire burned close to her home about a year ago, she still remembers the “horrific winds” and the sky that had turned pink and red.
It was shortly before that the local fire chief first discussed with Elliott and local residents the idea of starting their own California Fire Safe Council chapter. Just 12 months later, the small group has reached out to local residents about wildfire safety, holding community brush clearance events, and launched a new website.
“We are working to make our community a fire safe community,” said Elliott, who is part of a small group of residents spearheading the creation of the Wilkerson Fire Safe Council.
With a $5,000 grant from Edison International, the Wilkerson Fire Safe Council has rented large dumpsters so residents of both Old and New Wilkerson could dispose of brush during a weekend in July and produced educational materials, including postcards and banners. Now, they are working to form a board of directors and planning long-term programs.
Local residents in Old and New Wilkerson are familiar with high winds and very dry land covered in sagebrush and tumbleweed. For about every 1,000 acres, there are on average three residents living in this area. Locals here regularly take precautions to remove brush, knowing that the nearest water hydrant is about a mile away and the closest volunteer fire department seven miles away.
“Residents are usually diligent about not starting fires, clearing brush and creating defensible space,” said Jenny Rowe, a local resident who grew up in the area.
Still, forming an official chapter of the Fire Safe Council has added benefits, especially since it is one of the few in the eastern Sierra area. “Without the Fire Safe Council, we could not have gone very far. The council has helped pull the community together around wildfire mitigation,” said Rowe.
The California Fire Safe Council is a nonprofit that helps Californians be better prepared for wildfires. In addition to overseeing more than a hundred chapters throughout the state, they offer various grant and funding opportunities.
Elizabeth Lamar, regional coordinator for the California Fire Safe Council, has been working with the Wilkerson residents ever since they reached out to her about a year ago. She is impressed with how much the small group has been able to accomplish in such a short time.
“They are doing such a great job. There are not many Fire Safe Councils in that area. It’s a whole different area of the state that will benefit from the Fire Safe Council,” she said. “They are now part of a large network that is working toward the same goals and can support each other.”
Kelley Williams, Inyo County emergency manager, has been meeting with a few communities interested in starting a Fire Safe Council Chapter, including Wilkerson.
“They have been doing very well in pulling various groups together,” she said. “My role is to help them with any stumbling blocks they encounter, and I try to connect them with the right stakeholders.”
With the Bishop Volunteer Fire Department a 15-minute drive away, members of the Wilkerson Fire Safe Council are currently looking for additional funding for more water tanks, a new local fire house and the creation of a wide fire break around the area.
“We appreciate the grant from Edison. It has made a huge difference,” said Elliott.
For more information: contact@firesafewilkerson.com.