Editorial: North Auburn is too high risk a fire area for Hidden Falls Expansion

Devastating images of the California wildfires make it all too clear that our foothills could suffer the same catastrophic fires. We live in North Auburn. We have cleared our property and hardened our home. Cal Fire regularly inspects properties in our area and continually reminds us we are in a high-risk area and to remain diligent in our fire prevention efforts. Just west of us is the property comprising the proposed Hidden Falls Trails Expansion. We feel that all our efforts to protect our property and family will be sabotaged if this expansion moves forward. We can't control freak lightning storms, but we can make wise land-use decisions. With Cal Fire data showing that 95 percent of fires are human caused, we can control whether to invite thousands of hikers, cyclists and equestrians to the highly combustible Wildland Urban Interface of North Auburn and Lincoln. In the current era of catastrophic mega-fires, the residents of our community find the proposed Hidden Falls Trails Expansion to be reckless and irresponsible. It isn't just the residents that are concerned about wildfire risk in our area: · In January 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom started his term by responding to the statewide wildfire crisis, issuing two executive orders aimed at tackling the extreme wildfire threat in California. In his Community Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Report, 200 of California's most wildfire-vulnerable communities were identified and we're one of them. In a recent news release, he reiterated the great threat of firestorms California faces and how critical it is that all communities do their part to minimize risk. · Cal Fire has designated our area as a Wildland Urban Interface, which is where there is the greatest potential for loss of lives and structures. Cal Fire has stated we are in a new day of unprecedented catastrophic fires in California, something never seen until recent years. They have indicated that fire season is significantly longer and has pushed staff and resources to the limit. · PG&E has also determined we are a high-risk area. They were aggressive in our area with implementing numerous Public Safety Power Shutoffs last October and November, knowing drastic measures were necessary to prevent a catastrophic wildfire. They've also done extensive vegetation and tree removal in 2020. · Insurance company models for wildfire risk have led to a high number of cancellations in the 95602 and 95648 zip codes. It is the primary responsibility of our supervisors to protect the citizens of Placer County. In light of all the new evidence regarding the increased risk of wildfires in our area, we urge the supervisors to abide by their first responsibility and vote against expanding Hidden Falls. Joel and Erica Houston Auburn