Fire Prevention, Hantavirus to be Addressed at District 1 Community Meeting

BISHOP, CA – Spring is in the air and residents are advised to save the date for an upcoming community meeting being hosted by Inyo County District 1 Supervisor Trina Orrill.

The meeting, the second of four planned for the year, will be held at 5:30 p.m. Monday, April 28 at the Eastern Sierra Business Resource Center, 269 N. Main St., Bishop. Residents can also participate via Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82710372002?pwd=hMYrSEzgqpQ1bDGy3XmPYaYFgLeu94.1
(Passcode: 310997.)

In addition to offering constituents a look at the relatively new facility the County helped open in December, Supervisor Orrill’s meeting will cover several topics relevant to the spring season. With homeowners starting to clean out their garages and sheds, plant gardens, and do other yardwork, now is the perfect time to also take preventative measures to better protect properties from wildfire. Kristen Pfeiler, the wildfire prevention coordinator for the Eastern Sierra Council of Governments, will discuss home hardening measures in advance of the coming fire season, including strategies for clearing vegetation around the home, incorporating fire-resistant materials into spring remodeling projects, and creating and maintaining fuel breaks around the property.

Attendees will also learn about incentives offered by the County to encourage home hardening, such as free Green Waste Days at the landfills. Information will also be provided on coordinating large-scale volunteer events and projects around these fee-free opportunities. In the wake of three deaths in Mono County linked to hantavirus, Environmental Health Director Jerry Oser will discuss ways to reduce exposure to the disease, which is spread through contact with infected deer mice – especially their urine, saliva, and feces. He will also review the appropriate safety measures to take while undertaking spring cleaning in buildings where deer mice might be present.

Finally, Supervisor Orrill will report on a proposed policy resolution she recently drafted and will be presenting to the National Association of Counties (NACo) Environment, Energy, and Land Use Steering Committee in July for consideration for inclusion in the American County Platform. The resolution calls for the development of a pilot program to provide funding and technical assistance for fire suppression water infrastructure in rural and frontier communities. The program would
provide preparedness grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to allow rural and frontier communities and their fire districts and fire agencies, as well as the local water utility providers, to develop and implement necessary improvements to water infrastructure for effective fire suppression.

For more information about the upcoming meeting, contact Supervisor Orrill at (760) 878-8818.

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