“Is your home fire-hardened? How about your neighbor’s property? Is it fire safe? Are there weeds, dry grass, and trees not limbed up? What if you spoke with your neighbor, but they don’t have the funds to reduce the fire fuel? What then?
This is the dilemma of a local group of concerned citizens living in the Little Chico Creek, Stilson Canyon, Doe Mill and Belvedere Heights neighborhoods. A core group has met nearly monthly for two years. We have distributed Fire Safety materials to over 500 homes in our neighborhoods. We have organized meetings with the City of Chico and various agencies including Butte County Fire Safe Council. BUT — our dilemma, our neighbor the City of Chico does not have the funds to reduce the fire fuel in Little Chico Creek and Butte Creek Diversion Channel. This lack of funding, lack of action places southern Chico at risk. We are well aware we live on the eastern edge of Chico and examining fire history for our county (buttefiresafe.net) fire has licked at this edge of town many times in the past. We do not want to be the next Santa Rosa or Redding — or worse Paradise.
How do we make our voices heard, so that our concerns result in actions? This is not just about the southeastern edge of town. The dry brush and weather-stressed trees in our stream channels are just wicks — leading right into the heart of our city.”
— Kathy Coots, Chico
Download pdf: Letter_-Fearing-fire-safety-on-Little-Chico-Creek-–-Chico-Enterprise-Record.pdf (271 downloads )