Beginning Nov. 1 the only place to launch boats at Lake Tahoe will be at facilities where qualified aquatic invasive species inspectors are present.
Inspectors can require vessels be decontaminated if they are deemed a risk of introducing invasive species such as the quagga or zebra mussel. Mollusks have invaded lakes across the country, causing serious environmental and economic consequences. They are carried on watercraft that is not adequately cleaned, drained and dried.
The rules were unanimously approved by the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency Governing Board in September. The goal is to inspect every boat that enters lakes in the basin, which includes Fallen Leaf Lake. Even canoes are being hosed off.
For information, call Dennis Oliver at (775) 589-5235, or email doliver@trpa.org.
Monday, December 1, 2008
USFS counting beavers
unedited Tahoe Mt. News story
By Kathryn Reed
Small, football size rodents beware – Forest Service officials are tracking you.
Wildlife biologists are looking for mountain beaver habitat, but don’t actually expect to see any of the critters. It’s all part of a study to see how many of the animals are living in the Benwood Meadow watershed.
“We are not getting the numbers we would like to see,” Rena Escobedo, USFS wildlife biologist said.
One definite habitat sighting was confirmed by mid-August in the Benwood watershed. Last year’s study in the Big Meadow watershed yielded about 20 sightings.
This year’s team started near Round Lake on the Christmas Valley trail on July 29 and is expected to wrap things up this month. They are following the Upper Truckee River down to the bridge that crosses South Upper Truckee Road.
“We walk the whole water area. We will heavily search the area, very slowly,” Escobedo said.
Biologists look for hay piles to indicate a beaver’s home. Beavers clip vegetation at a diagonal and then pile it outside their burrow to dry before using it to line the inside.
Mountain beavers are not marine mammals and don’t build dams. Squirrels are closer relatives. Their faces are small, their tails stubby. They can travel from watershed to watershed. These beavers have been around for about 40 million years.
They need water. They tend to favor low flowing water year-round and semi-soft soil so they can dig a hole into a bank. One beaver may call a 75-square-foot area home.
They live alone. Youngsters are kicked out at 3 months. Males serve one purpose.
The mountain beavers were studied extensively in the 1930 and 1950s. The data collected on the South Shore will be sent to the regional office in Vallejo for analysis.
By Kathryn Reed
Small, football size rodents beware – Forest Service officials are tracking you.
Wildlife biologists are looking for mountain beaver habitat, but don’t actually expect to see any of the critters. It’s all part of a study to see how many of the animals are living in the Benwood Meadow watershed.
“We are not getting the numbers we would like to see,” Rena Escobedo, USFS wildlife biologist said.
One definite habitat sighting was confirmed by mid-August in the Benwood watershed. Last year’s study in the Big Meadow watershed yielded about 20 sightings.
This year’s team started near Round Lake on the Christmas Valley trail on July 29 and is expected to wrap things up this month. They are following the Upper Truckee River down to the bridge that crosses South Upper Truckee Road.
“We walk the whole water area. We will heavily search the area, very slowly,” Escobedo said.
Biologists look for hay piles to indicate a beaver’s home. Beavers clip vegetation at a diagonal and then pile it outside their burrow to dry before using it to line the inside.
Mountain beavers are not marine mammals and don’t build dams. Squirrels are closer relatives. Their faces are small, their tails stubby. They can travel from watershed to watershed. These beavers have been around for about 40 million years.
They need water. They tend to favor low flowing water year-round and semi-soft soil so they can dig a hole into a bank. One beaver may call a 75-square-foot area home.
They live alone. Youngsters are kicked out at 3 months. Males serve one purpose.
The mountain beavers were studied extensively in the 1930 and 1950s. The data collected on the South Shore will be sent to the regional office in Vallejo for analysis.
Barton checkups
unpublished Oct. 08 Tahoe Mt. News column
By Kathryn Reed
For someone who doesn’t like doctors, I booked two medical appointments the same week. This is huge – especially since it didn’t involve annual poking or squeezing.
I did freak out the woman doing the blood draw at Barton’s Express Lab when I told her I tend to faint around needles. Her colleague came to her rescue. Neither could find a vein in my writing arm, so to the left they went.
I don’t know yet if my cholesterol is OK, but I didn’t faint. Hopefully, I won’t fall over when I get the results.
The wellness panel costs $40. It includes 23 lab tests, including a chemistry panel and hemogram. Draws for the rest of 2008 are on Oct. 18, Oct. 21, Nov. 15, Nov. 18, Dec. 16 and Dec. 20. Call (530) 543-5855 for an appointment.
Later that week I went to Barton University on Emerald Bay Road for one of the free quarterly checkups.
Alicia took me behind a screen to look for any signs of skin cancer. She asks questions, looks at anything I think is suspicious. She took a peak round my chest, back, face and hairline. Nothing to worry about.
She said the black speck I recently noticed on my neck isn’t anything to worry about until it grows a bit. My sister, who is a nurse practitioner and until this summer worked in an oncology office, said it wouldn’t hurt to get a full head to toe check from a dermatologist. It’s on my proverbial list of things to do.
Back at Barton, Carla was my next medical expert. She works for Dr. Kyle Swanson, who was called into emergency surgery just before I arrived. I told Carla about my right knee that has been hurting since ratcheting up my cycling routine during the summer. When I was 20 I put it through a car stereo. I’ve never had surgery on it and only on occasion do I feel it skiing or playing tennis. Cycling has been a different story.
Carla said I could have arthritis and cartilage may have built up. Surgery would clean it up. She said I could get an injection. We all know how I feel about needles. Knives give me that same fuzzy feeling. She then suggested Aleve for pain. I can do that.
With shoes off and blue booties on, I sauntered over to Suzanne. She used an ultrasound device on my right ankle to test the bone density of my whole body. I’m above average and a low risk for osteoporosis – at least at what was nearly age 43.
Dr. William Cottrell went over the results with me. He explained that bone is my bank and that when I start early menopause I will withdraw from that bank every day. He was adamant that I should start taking vitamin D supplements.
“Vitamin D is the new hormone. Think of it that way,” he said.
The next station had me on my back. Ken, Romie and Karen, all registered nurses, took my blood pressure for the peripheral arterial disease scan. People who have PAD are twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
It’s normal for one side to have a higher blood pressure than the other. Sure enough, my left arm and left leg registered 118, while the right side was 104 both times. The experts said I am not at risk for PAD.
The screenings amount to hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars worth of free tests. About 170 people were seen in September. Reservations are necessary.
The next one will be Nov. 21. So far diabetes and sleep disorders are part of the panel. Call (530) 543-5537 to make an appointment.
By Kathryn Reed
For someone who doesn’t like doctors, I booked two medical appointments the same week. This is huge – especially since it didn’t involve annual poking or squeezing.
I did freak out the woman doing the blood draw at Barton’s Express Lab when I told her I tend to faint around needles. Her colleague came to her rescue. Neither could find a vein in my writing arm, so to the left they went.
I don’t know yet if my cholesterol is OK, but I didn’t faint. Hopefully, I won’t fall over when I get the results.
The wellness panel costs $40. It includes 23 lab tests, including a chemistry panel and hemogram. Draws for the rest of 2008 are on Oct. 18, Oct. 21, Nov. 15, Nov. 18, Dec. 16 and Dec. 20. Call (530) 543-5855 for an appointment.
Later that week I went to Barton University on Emerald Bay Road for one of the free quarterly checkups.
Alicia took me behind a screen to look for any signs of skin cancer. She asks questions, looks at anything I think is suspicious. She took a peak round my chest, back, face and hairline. Nothing to worry about.
She said the black speck I recently noticed on my neck isn’t anything to worry about until it grows a bit. My sister, who is a nurse practitioner and until this summer worked in an oncology office, said it wouldn’t hurt to get a full head to toe check from a dermatologist. It’s on my proverbial list of things to do.
Back at Barton, Carla was my next medical expert. She works for Dr. Kyle Swanson, who was called into emergency surgery just before I arrived. I told Carla about my right knee that has been hurting since ratcheting up my cycling routine during the summer. When I was 20 I put it through a car stereo. I’ve never had surgery on it and only on occasion do I feel it skiing or playing tennis. Cycling has been a different story.
Carla said I could have arthritis and cartilage may have built up. Surgery would clean it up. She said I could get an injection. We all know how I feel about needles. Knives give me that same fuzzy feeling. She then suggested Aleve for pain. I can do that.
With shoes off and blue booties on, I sauntered over to Suzanne. She used an ultrasound device on my right ankle to test the bone density of my whole body. I’m above average and a low risk for osteoporosis – at least at what was nearly age 43.
Dr. William Cottrell went over the results with me. He explained that bone is my bank and that when I start early menopause I will withdraw from that bank every day. He was adamant that I should start taking vitamin D supplements.
“Vitamin D is the new hormone. Think of it that way,” he said.
The next station had me on my back. Ken, Romie and Karen, all registered nurses, took my blood pressure for the peripheral arterial disease scan. People who have PAD are twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke.
It’s normal for one side to have a higher blood pressure than the other. Sure enough, my left arm and left leg registered 118, while the right side was 104 both times. The experts said I am not at risk for PAD.
The screenings amount to hundreds, sometimes thousands, of dollars worth of free tests. About 170 people were seen in September. Reservations are necessary.
The next one will be Nov. 21. So far diabetes and sleep disorders are part of the panel. Call (530) 543-5537 to make an appointment.
Angor -- John Mauriello in escrow
unedited Oct. 08 Tahoe Mt. News story
Editor's note: This is a monthly article following one of the hundreds of people who lost their homes in the Angora Fire in summer 2007.
By Kathryn Reed
John Mauriello is about to move out of the Angora burn area – a place he thought would be home until his last breath.
He closes escrow Oct. 20 on a house in Christmas Valley. As of press time he was waiting to confirm numbers with his insurance company – The Hartford through AARP – to make sure they matched what he is expecting as the final payout.
His lot on Mount Olympia Circle is helping pay for the new home.
“It’s time for me to move,” Mauriello said. “I’ve got to get out of the burn area.”
The 69-year-old retiree has been renting in the burn area for the bulk of the time since the June 2007 wildland fire swept through his neighborhood and decimated his home and 253 others.
He had made an offer earlier in September on a different house, but the wobbly stock market shook the seller’s confidence and that person backed out.
After much consternation, Mauriello has been told he owes El Dorado County zero dollars when it comes to his tree removal bill. One more step in moving on.
Mauriello has been spotted at various events in the last month. On Sept. 19 he attended the art auction for Tahoe Lost and Found. Melissa Lanitis Gregory was the force behind this project to raise money to replace the $2,000 worth of books destroyed by the fire. It was Mauriello’s lost pizza recipe that inspired the project.
The auction raised $2,080. The “extra” $80 will help create a landmark in the burn area.
“There was some very good artwork,” Mauriello said. But he is not buying anymore substantial items until he is permanently settled.
He is still buying kitchen gadgets. Ask him about trying to find a stainless steel funnel or how time consuming it is to can tomatoes. That rant could fill the whole paper.
Mauriello also attended the Oct. 1 meeting hosted by the county to discuss taking Lake Tahoe Boulevard from four to two lanes. He and several others spoke out saying the road is just fine. Many ridiculed the idea, especially when no study has been done on the number of cyclists using the road or how many might use a trail or lane if it were built.
Contentious only begins to describe the atmosphere at Lake Tahoe Airport that night. Nerves are still frayed from Angora. Anything that would thwart emergency vehicles from getting to the neighborhood will not go over well with residents.
“Why did they try to disguise it under an enhancement program?” Mauriello asked the next day. That’s what the information the county sent out called it. “If you want a bike lane, I have nothing against it. I’m a biker, but let them build another bike lane next to (the road).”
He has driven a bus for Heavenly and knows what the roads are like on a blustery winter day with tourists pouring out of town. He is fearful that shrinking the number of lanes will cause more head-on collisions, reduce the response time for emergency vehicles and create hazardous situations.
Even though Mauriello is likely to leave the neighborhood soon, his passion for what he believes is right has not waned. Just ask him about replanting Angora Ridge.
Editor's note: This is a monthly article following one of the hundreds of people who lost their homes in the Angora Fire in summer 2007.
By Kathryn Reed
John Mauriello is about to move out of the Angora burn area – a place he thought would be home until his last breath.
He closes escrow Oct. 20 on a house in Christmas Valley. As of press time he was waiting to confirm numbers with his insurance company – The Hartford through AARP – to make sure they matched what he is expecting as the final payout.
His lot on Mount Olympia Circle is helping pay for the new home.
“It’s time for me to move,” Mauriello said. “I’ve got to get out of the burn area.”
The 69-year-old retiree has been renting in the burn area for the bulk of the time since the June 2007 wildland fire swept through his neighborhood and decimated his home and 253 others.
He had made an offer earlier in September on a different house, but the wobbly stock market shook the seller’s confidence and that person backed out.
After much consternation, Mauriello has been told he owes El Dorado County zero dollars when it comes to his tree removal bill. One more step in moving on.
Mauriello has been spotted at various events in the last month. On Sept. 19 he attended the art auction for Tahoe Lost and Found. Melissa Lanitis Gregory was the force behind this project to raise money to replace the $2,000 worth of books destroyed by the fire. It was Mauriello’s lost pizza recipe that inspired the project.
The auction raised $2,080. The “extra” $80 will help create a landmark in the burn area.
“There was some very good artwork,” Mauriello said. But he is not buying anymore substantial items until he is permanently settled.
He is still buying kitchen gadgets. Ask him about trying to find a stainless steel funnel or how time consuming it is to can tomatoes. That rant could fill the whole paper.
Mauriello also attended the Oct. 1 meeting hosted by the county to discuss taking Lake Tahoe Boulevard from four to two lanes. He and several others spoke out saying the road is just fine. Many ridiculed the idea, especially when no study has been done on the number of cyclists using the road or how many might use a trail or lane if it were built.
Contentious only begins to describe the atmosphere at Lake Tahoe Airport that night. Nerves are still frayed from Angora. Anything that would thwart emergency vehicles from getting to the neighborhood will not go over well with residents.
“Why did they try to disguise it under an enhancement program?” Mauriello asked the next day. That’s what the information the county sent out called it. “If you want a bike lane, I have nothing against it. I’m a biker, but let them build another bike lane next to (the road).”
He has driven a bus for Heavenly and knows what the roads are like on a blustery winter day with tourists pouring out of town. He is fearful that shrinking the number of lanes will cause more head-on collisions, reduce the response time for emergency vehicles and create hazardous situations.
Even though Mauriello is likely to leave the neighborhood soon, his passion for what he believes is right has not waned. Just ask him about replanting Angora Ridge.
Defensible space v. insurance companies
unedited Nov. 08 Tahoe Mt. News story
By Kathryn Reed
South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Lorenzo Gigliotti isn’t leaving defensible space issues up to his staff. When calls started rolling in from residents who had their home owners’ insurance dropped, he took a look at some of the properties.
“Allstate says defensible space is 300 feet. In most cases that is well out of the control of the owner and beyond the state requirements,” Gigliotti said.
Lisa and Paul Huard had Allstate for 25 years, never filed a claim and were issued a non-renewal notice this summer. They met with Allstate agent Bob Harder after the Angora Fire of summer 2007 to assess their coverage. They increased it, paid more and now feel like their money was merely used to pay off claims elsewhere in the state.
They’ve filed a complaint with the state Department of Insurance. While the wheels of bureaucracy turn at a glacial pace, they opted to switch to Ameriprise.
State law requires companies to let a policyholder know at least 45 days in advance of a non-renewal. And they must provide specific reasons.
Allstate told the Huards that trees, the house next door and their then shake roof were issues even though when they spoke to Harder a year ago he said it was OK to wait a year to replace the roof.
The Huards put on a new roof this summer. They have removed trees. The California Tahoe Conservancy has treated the lot next to them. On the other side is a house. Behind them is Barton Meadow.
“It kills me to see those commercials that say you are in good hands with Allstate,” Lisa Huard said. “Corporate said I was denied by the underwriters.”
Harder referred calls from the Tahoe Mountain News to corporate.
“Allstate is inspecting properties in high-risk wildfire areas throughout California to help identify potential issues well in advance of our customers’ policy renewal date. If any issues are identified, and those issues are corrected or resolved prior to the renewal date, Allstate will renew its current customers’ homeowner policies, subject to applicable Allstate underwriting guidelines,” said Pete DeMarco, Allstate spokesman. “Allstate is taking responsible steps to manage our risk so that the company is in a financially strong position. Every property is unique, and greater clearance requirements may be warranted in particular situations.”
He would not speak to specific cases.
Allstate is the third largest insurance company in the state, with approximately 850,000 homeowners’ polices. It will not say how many of those are in Lake Tahoe or the vicinity. DeMarco said the company has no intention of pulling out of the area. However, it is not issuing new policies to Lake Tahoe home owners.
What others say
According to Jason Kimbrough with the state Department of Insurance, the agency will only track complaints about non-renewal notices from the burn area. It hasn’t received any. Nor does the state keep track of companies leaving Lake Tahoe, nor does it have a record of the number of companies operating here.
The Insurance Information Network of California, a trade organization for the insurance industry, says non-renewals are declining in the state. Tully Lehman, spokesman for the group, said companies are always assessing how much risk they have in certain areas.
Jesse and Sondra Garner are two other locals who received a non-renewal notice. The Montgomery Estate residents got a letter in March from United Services Automobile Association, a company that predominately insures military personnel. USSA had insured the house for more than decade.
The company sent an inspector to evaluate the property.
“We are very active about defensible space,” Jesse Garner said. “We initially said goody, bring it on because we are the best in the neighborhood.”
He is even a member of his neighborhood’s fire safe chapter.
He said the inspector was complimentary of the work they were doing. On June 4 an underwriter called to say their policy wouldn’t be renewed as of Aug. 11. The 11-page report was faxed to the Garners.
“It was so full of bogus bull. It is just laughable,” Garner said.
Someone on the phone old him the issue was that he lives in a wooded area.
The Garners are now with AAA – at lower rates.
AAA is obviously writing new policies in South Lake. They were one of the companies with good reviews from victims of Angora.
However, company spokesman Matt Skryja said, “Things are status quo, but currently we are reviewing our guidelines and practices.” He would not elaborate.
State Farm is another agency that is continuing to write policies.
“We have no concerted effort to not renew policies because of wildfire exposure,” said Vince Wetzel, State Farm spokesman. “We constantly look at the homes we insure on a case by case basis. We look at defensible space and we look at the risk they have like outdated roofs and the overall condition of the home to make sure it is in the best state possible to withstand wildfire.”
Defensible space
When it comes to assessing the threat of fire, DeMarco said, “Allstate’s brush requirements are based on many safety factors that may impact firefighters’ ability to access and defend the property. We look at factors such as the width of streets, distance to a water source, the amount of combustible vegetation, the degree of the slope, and the readability of road signs or difficulty in finding the property.”
The state requires a non-combustible area from zero to 5 feet from the property. From 5 to 30 feet the area should have limited flammable vegetation, with no ladder fuels and be well irrigated. Out to 100 feet the fuel zone should be reduced by paying attention to the horizontal and vertical space between trees and shrubs.
A guide to defensible space is “Living With Fire: A guide for the homeowner” which was put out by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. For more information, go to www.livingwithfire.info/tahoe.
Even though this is supposed to be the bible Lake Tahoe homeowners are to live by, fire officials say it is a “guide” and not something written in stone. This leaves some residents a bit perplexed.
Leona Allen with Lake Valley Fire does defensible space inspections for that department. She can mark trees to be cut based on defensible space, while TRPA assesses forest health.
She likes to ask residents how comfortable they would be to have a softball size ember land on their property or dwelling. That’s the size that were flying around Angora and catching houses on fire. An ember caught her deck on fire, which caught the house on fire and made it a total loss in June ’07.
At the home of Jacke Crump and Cheryl Murakami, Allen talked about the direction of prevailing winds being factor, praised them for having firewood stored inside as opposed to outside where it would be considered an accelerant,
Crump found some of the decisions arbitrary, and questioned leaving some of the clumps of trees and wondered about the canopy of some trees being so close.
“Big trees are more resistant to fire,” Allen said. “It’s not arbitrary. It’s more individual to each property.”
The key is when flames next erupt, that it stays a ground fire and doesn’t become a crown fire.
The basin-wide policy set by TRPA says homeowners must have a permit to cut a tree that is more than 14 inches in diameter. Some homeowners want more control of protecting their property from fire.
In the Cold Creek area, Allen looks over the work that has been done since she issued a defensible space inspection checklist to the owners. It’s remarkable how few pine needles are scattered – a TRPA no-no pre-Angora. It’s not that erosion measures have been voided, it’s just that basin fire chiefs were able to rewrite some of the rules.
The owners, who chose not to use their names, have joined the local fire safe council.
The back has been thinned of threatening brush. White thorn, bitter brush and manzanita are still there – just not in a growth pattern this is combustible or that could be consider ladder fuels. The Squaw carpet is good for erosion and defensible space.
Allen said willows, aspens, birch and all deciduous trees are good.
Lake Valley may be reached at (530) 577-2447 and South Lake Tahoe at (530) 542-6180. Fallen Leaf and Tahoe-Douglas fire departments also want to help homeowners with defensible space.
By Kathryn Reed
South Lake Tahoe Fire Chief Lorenzo Gigliotti isn’t leaving defensible space issues up to his staff. When calls started rolling in from residents who had their home owners’ insurance dropped, he took a look at some of the properties.
“Allstate says defensible space is 300 feet. In most cases that is well out of the control of the owner and beyond the state requirements,” Gigliotti said.
Lisa and Paul Huard had Allstate for 25 years, never filed a claim and were issued a non-renewal notice this summer. They met with Allstate agent Bob Harder after the Angora Fire of summer 2007 to assess their coverage. They increased it, paid more and now feel like their money was merely used to pay off claims elsewhere in the state.
They’ve filed a complaint with the state Department of Insurance. While the wheels of bureaucracy turn at a glacial pace, they opted to switch to Ameriprise.
State law requires companies to let a policyholder know at least 45 days in advance of a non-renewal. And they must provide specific reasons.
Allstate told the Huards that trees, the house next door and their then shake roof were issues even though when they spoke to Harder a year ago he said it was OK to wait a year to replace the roof.
The Huards put on a new roof this summer. They have removed trees. The California Tahoe Conservancy has treated the lot next to them. On the other side is a house. Behind them is Barton Meadow.
“It kills me to see those commercials that say you are in good hands with Allstate,” Lisa Huard said. “Corporate said I was denied by the underwriters.”
Harder referred calls from the Tahoe Mountain News to corporate.
“Allstate is inspecting properties in high-risk wildfire areas throughout California to help identify potential issues well in advance of our customers’ policy renewal date. If any issues are identified, and those issues are corrected or resolved prior to the renewal date, Allstate will renew its current customers’ homeowner policies, subject to applicable Allstate underwriting guidelines,” said Pete DeMarco, Allstate spokesman. “Allstate is taking responsible steps to manage our risk so that the company is in a financially strong position. Every property is unique, and greater clearance requirements may be warranted in particular situations.”
He would not speak to specific cases.
Allstate is the third largest insurance company in the state, with approximately 850,000 homeowners’ polices. It will not say how many of those are in Lake Tahoe or the vicinity. DeMarco said the company has no intention of pulling out of the area. However, it is not issuing new policies to Lake Tahoe home owners.
What others say
According to Jason Kimbrough with the state Department of Insurance, the agency will only track complaints about non-renewal notices from the burn area. It hasn’t received any. Nor does the state keep track of companies leaving Lake Tahoe, nor does it have a record of the number of companies operating here.
The Insurance Information Network of California, a trade organization for the insurance industry, says non-renewals are declining in the state. Tully Lehman, spokesman for the group, said companies are always assessing how much risk they have in certain areas.
Jesse and Sondra Garner are two other locals who received a non-renewal notice. The Montgomery Estate residents got a letter in March from United Services Automobile Association, a company that predominately insures military personnel. USSA had insured the house for more than decade.
The company sent an inspector to evaluate the property.
“We are very active about defensible space,” Jesse Garner said. “We initially said goody, bring it on because we are the best in the neighborhood.”
He is even a member of his neighborhood’s fire safe chapter.
He said the inspector was complimentary of the work they were doing. On June 4 an underwriter called to say their policy wouldn’t be renewed as of Aug. 11. The 11-page report was faxed to the Garners.
“It was so full of bogus bull. It is just laughable,” Garner said.
Someone on the phone old him the issue was that he lives in a wooded area.
The Garners are now with AAA – at lower rates.
AAA is obviously writing new policies in South Lake. They were one of the companies with good reviews from victims of Angora.
However, company spokesman Matt Skryja said, “Things are status quo, but currently we are reviewing our guidelines and practices.” He would not elaborate.
State Farm is another agency that is continuing to write policies.
“We have no concerted effort to not renew policies because of wildfire exposure,” said Vince Wetzel, State Farm spokesman. “We constantly look at the homes we insure on a case by case basis. We look at defensible space and we look at the risk they have like outdated roofs and the overall condition of the home to make sure it is in the best state possible to withstand wildfire.”
Defensible space
When it comes to assessing the threat of fire, DeMarco said, “Allstate’s brush requirements are based on many safety factors that may impact firefighters’ ability to access and defend the property. We look at factors such as the width of streets, distance to a water source, the amount of combustible vegetation, the degree of the slope, and the readability of road signs or difficulty in finding the property.”
The state requires a non-combustible area from zero to 5 feet from the property. From 5 to 30 feet the area should have limited flammable vegetation, with no ladder fuels and be well irrigated. Out to 100 feet the fuel zone should be reduced by paying attention to the horizontal and vertical space between trees and shrubs.
A guide to defensible space is “Living With Fire: A guide for the homeowner” which was put out by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. For more information, go to www.livingwithfire.info/tahoe.
Even though this is supposed to be the bible Lake Tahoe homeowners are to live by, fire officials say it is a “guide” and not something written in stone. This leaves some residents a bit perplexed.
Leona Allen with Lake Valley Fire does defensible space inspections for that department. She can mark trees to be cut based on defensible space, while TRPA assesses forest health.
She likes to ask residents how comfortable they would be to have a softball size ember land on their property or dwelling. That’s the size that were flying around Angora and catching houses on fire. An ember caught her deck on fire, which caught the house on fire and made it a total loss in June ’07.
At the home of Jacke Crump and Cheryl Murakami, Allen talked about the direction of prevailing winds being factor, praised them for having firewood stored inside as opposed to outside where it would be considered an accelerant,
Crump found some of the decisions arbitrary, and questioned leaving some of the clumps of trees and wondered about the canopy of some trees being so close.
“Big trees are more resistant to fire,” Allen said. “It’s not arbitrary. It’s more individual to each property.”
The key is when flames next erupt, that it stays a ground fire and doesn’t become a crown fire.
The basin-wide policy set by TRPA says homeowners must have a permit to cut a tree that is more than 14 inches in diameter. Some homeowners want more control of protecting their property from fire.
In the Cold Creek area, Allen looks over the work that has been done since she issued a defensible space inspection checklist to the owners. It’s remarkable how few pine needles are scattered – a TRPA no-no pre-Angora. It’s not that erosion measures have been voided, it’s just that basin fire chiefs were able to rewrite some of the rules.
The owners, who chose not to use their names, have joined the local fire safe council.
The back has been thinned of threatening brush. White thorn, bitter brush and manzanita are still there – just not in a growth pattern this is combustible or that could be consider ladder fuels. The Squaw carpet is good for erosion and defensible space.
Allen said willows, aspens, birch and all deciduous trees are good.
Lake Valley may be reached at (530) 577-2447 and South Lake Tahoe at (530) 542-6180. Fallen Leaf and Tahoe-Douglas fire departments also want to help homeowners with defensible space.
Angora contractors fined
unedited Oct. 08 Tahoe Mt. News story
By Kathryn Reed
When Cal-OSHA sweeps into the Angora burn area, subtlety is not the operatives’ strong suit.
They file out of vans. Disperse. And then they set off a chain of cell phone calls from one contractor to the next as they alert their brethren about the state inspectors.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Industrial Relations, which the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is under, did not have statistics detailing which contractors have been fined, what the infractions were or what the amount was.
Steve Yonker of Yonker Construction in South Lake said his firm was fined $150 for having a blade on a saw pinned back and not having the correct railing on scaffolding.
Yonker has five houses under construction in the burn area.
Erin Wiseman of Mcintyre Enterprises said one of their subcontractors incurred a “token” fine. She said her company has not been fined.
Most of the contractors who were contacted by phone or at the job site said Cal-OSHA protects workers and the companies. Most added that if inspectors look hard enough, infractions can be found on any job.
Some of the routine violations have to do with not wearing proper clothing – long-sleeves, hard hats and steel toed boots are required.
Some workers had hard hats. Some said it’s too cumbersome when working in tight corners. Gloves are required, but contractors say this impedes dexterity.
Safety glasses are required. Masks are mandated when dealing with paint. Cords can’t be frayed. Tools can’t be modified. First aid kits are mandatory. Safety posters must be visible. Fall protection from roof work is required.
Chris Spann of Erickson Carpentry out of Reno keeps a 5-inch thick project safety manual in his truck – a Cal-OSHA requirement for the two houses on Mule Deer Circle he is working on.
“They are out here to keep us from getting hurt,” Spann said of Cal-OSHA. He said safety issues are a priority with his company and that being fired for not following the rules is a real possibility.
Michael Brady owns a painting company under the same name. He had to take off his mask to talk to a reporter. He hasn’t seen any state inspectors, but said he is a stickler for safety and has all of his workers’ comp and liability insurance in order.
Ladder falls are some of the more common mishaps at a construction site. A homeowner on Mule Deer said he witnessed a non-injury fall behind his house on Sept. 30. Owners on Mount Olympia Circle know about a drywall guy falling from a ladder. Drake Niven knows of three ladder falls in early September.
Niven is building four houses in the burn area, with one being complete. He’s all for safety, but believes Cal-OSHA has some ridiculous mandates like regulating when workers take water breaks. He believes his crew can figure out when they are thirsty and hungry without being told.
“Construction is a dangerous job,” Niven said. “No matter how anal you are, OSHA is even more anal.”
By Kathryn Reed
When Cal-OSHA sweeps into the Angora burn area, subtlety is not the operatives’ strong suit.
They file out of vans. Disperse. And then they set off a chain of cell phone calls from one contractor to the next as they alert their brethren about the state inspectors.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Industrial Relations, which the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is under, did not have statistics detailing which contractors have been fined, what the infractions were or what the amount was.
Steve Yonker of Yonker Construction in South Lake said his firm was fined $150 for having a blade on a saw pinned back and not having the correct railing on scaffolding.
Yonker has five houses under construction in the burn area.
Erin Wiseman of Mcintyre Enterprises said one of their subcontractors incurred a “token” fine. She said her company has not been fined.
Most of the contractors who were contacted by phone or at the job site said Cal-OSHA protects workers and the companies. Most added that if inspectors look hard enough, infractions can be found on any job.
Some of the routine violations have to do with not wearing proper clothing – long-sleeves, hard hats and steel toed boots are required.
Some workers had hard hats. Some said it’s too cumbersome when working in tight corners. Gloves are required, but contractors say this impedes dexterity.
Safety glasses are required. Masks are mandated when dealing with paint. Cords can’t be frayed. Tools can’t be modified. First aid kits are mandatory. Safety posters must be visible. Fall protection from roof work is required.
Chris Spann of Erickson Carpentry out of Reno keeps a 5-inch thick project safety manual in his truck – a Cal-OSHA requirement for the two houses on Mule Deer Circle he is working on.
“They are out here to keep us from getting hurt,” Spann said of Cal-OSHA. He said safety issues are a priority with his company and that being fired for not following the rules is a real possibility.
Michael Brady owns a painting company under the same name. He had to take off his mask to talk to a reporter. He hasn’t seen any state inspectors, but said he is a stickler for safety and has all of his workers’ comp and liability insurance in order.
Ladder falls are some of the more common mishaps at a construction site. A homeowner on Mule Deer said he witnessed a non-injury fall behind his house on Sept. 30. Owners on Mount Olympia Circle know about a drywall guy falling from a ladder. Drake Niven knows of three ladder falls in early September.
Niven is building four houses in the burn area, with one being complete. He’s all for safety, but believes Cal-OSHA has some ridiculous mandates like regulating when workers take water breaks. He believes his crew can figure out when they are thirsty and hungry without being told.
“Construction is a dangerous job,” Niven said. “No matter how anal you are, OSHA is even more anal.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)