Humbug Creek Road news: Officially a Firewise Community
Written by:
Sang Montage L.AC.
Fellow Applegaters, Humbuggers, and those who line the Humbug Mountain along Highway 238 to the church—congratulations! We are officially a Firewise Community.
What does this mean for us?
It means this is just the beginning and not an ending.
To continue being an official Firewise Community, we have to log hours when we do any work around properties for fire mitigation. Please connect with one of our Firewise Leaders to obtain more information on how to do this. This is a crucial step for us to keep our community Firewise and to receive federal and matching private grants to help mitigate our costs. You can contact Paul Tipton at ptipton4u2c@gmail.com, Deb Keberle at wickedwoolens@ gmail.com, or Natalie Tinker at ntinker03@gmail.com.
New to Humbug?
Expect a friendly knock on your door with a free information packet about becoming part of the Firewise effort and getting your information on our 911 Emergency Fire Tree. This is a private list for fire emergencies only. Please update us with your address, name, phone number, and email information. Prefer no visitors? Then please connect with Natalie or Sang to add your information, which will remain private and be used only for fire emergencies, to the list. The 911 phone list will be updated and tested annually. We need volunteers to help us share the phone tree duties, and we need a primary fire department contact person. Natalie and I are fun people, and it’s wonderful to be of service to our local community. You can contact Natalie Tinker at ntinker03@gmail. com or me at 541-708-3953 or at Sang@MontageOM.com.
Common Questions
Will it lower our homeowner’s insurance?
While it may not lower your insurance, it may help prevent loss of coverage or assist in the ability to purchase coverage. Sterling Creek Road is the Applegate’s first regional Firewise Community, and some residents report that it did indeed lower their costs. It certainly won’t hurt us!
What ’s involved in staying Firewise?
It’s basically creating a defensible space around your home, making sure your driveway is clear for exit and entry of emergency vehicles, and getting a Firewise audit if you want to join our efforts. You could attend a Firewise meeting if you would like more in-person knowledge. We will be hosting two annual meetings for Humbuggers, in spring and fall, for in-person information and updates.
Please join us for a meeting, or contact one of our Humbug Firewise Leaders: Humbug Firewise Community Leaders: Paul Tipton: ptipton4u2c@gmail.com Deb Keberle: wickedwoolens@gmail.com Natalie Tinker: ntinker03@gmail.com
Are there resources available for disabled, elderly, or economically challenged residents? We are working to create an infrastructure to make this happen. When we become certified, we can request grants to help those in need to create and maintain defensible space. Let us know if you’re interested by signing up for updates.
What are some examples of defensible space? Cleaning out gutters and covering them with mesh wire to prevent buildup of leaves. Keeping the underside of decks and porches clear of flammable debris. Replacing missing or damaged roof vents with one-eighth inch metal mesh. Limbing trees.
What can we do in the meantime to create defensible space? There are some free resources available now, like chipping and dumpster use from the Applegate Fire District. Call them for more information and to schedule a dumpster for you to load up with flammable material.
Connections
Learn more about what Firewise is at firewise.org. Join our Private Humbug Facebook group. Thanks for reading! I hope you join our Firewise efforts and come to the meeting in the fall!
Sang Montage L.Ac.