At a recent November 5 meeting of the San Bernardino National Forest Cabin Coalition (SBNFCC), Roy Glauthier described how 2021 has been a tough year for fire losses. Nearly 200 recreation residences have been lost to date, 180 of those were in the Caldor Fire along Hwy 50 between Sacramento and South Lake Tahoe. Most of those 180 were lost in a single 12-hour period. Fire crews had succeeded in protecting cabin tracts until the fire jumped ahead of their protection lines and burned through areas that had not yet been treated. Hopefully, most of those lost cabins will be rebuilt, but that will depend on an assessment of each cabin, county building requirements, and each permit holder’s individual situation.
Regarding brush clearance and fire fuel reduction, some cabin owners are not doing their required annual clearance, which endangers not only their own cabins, but could also allow a fire to spread quickly through the area, endangering all of us. Please report cabins that are not in compliance with brush clearance guidelines to Casey Shaffer, FS Special Uses Administrator, by email [casey.shaffer@usda.gov].
Photo Source: https://strangesounds.org