The National Weather Service provides definitions for various weather alerts and warnings related to fires, heat, and lake winds to support emergency preparedness and public safety.

Services include:

• Fire Alerts:
  • Red Flag Warning: Issued for weather conditions that may result in extreme fire behavior within 24 hours.
  • Fire Weather Watch: Issued when conditions could lead to extreme fire behavior within the next 12–72 hours.
• Heat Alerts:
  • Excessive Heat Watch: Potential for heat index values to exceed hazardous levels within 24–48 hours.
  • Excessive Heat Warning: Expected hazardous heat index values within 12–24 hours.
  • Heat Advisory: Conditions that may cause discomfort or heat-related illnesses within 12–24 hours.
• Lake Wind Advisory: Issued when windy conditions on lakes may be hazardous for recreational activities.

Web pages

• Home - https://www.weather.gov/

• Weather Definitions - https://www.weather.gov/lwx/WarningsDefined

• Ready Nevada County Handbook (English, 2024) - https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/D…

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The California Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) provides tools and resources for Californians who have been impacted by disasters.

Web pages

• Home - https://www.caloes.ca.gov/

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Provides educational information on how to get through a disaster
• Helps with local and state emergency preparedness
• Coordinates federal response to a disaster

California is in FEMA Region 9.

Web pages

• FEMA home - https://www.fema.gov/
• FEMA California - https://www.fema.gov/locations/contact/california#contact-and-about
• Contact - all regions - https://www.fema.gov/about/contact

In the event of a disaster, the Ready Nevada County dashboard will display real-time data on the Ready Nevada County Dashboard.

The Nevada County Office of Emergency Services (OES) coordinates with County departments, municipalities, key stakeholders, and special districts to mitigate against, prepare for, respond to, and recover from all disasters.

Ready Nevada County is an effort coordinated by OES to raise awareness and mobilize the community to prevent and prepare for wildfires.

2024 READY, SET, GO! Handbook - English

2024 ¡PREPARADOS, LISTOS, A EVACUAR! Manual

​Web pages

• Home - http://www.mynevadacounty.com/1182/Office-of-Emergency-Services
• Ready Nevada County Dashboard - https://nevcounty.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=dfae8e3b36e3455bbf9dcc865349e72e
• Preparedness Toolkit - https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/2792/Preparedness-Toolkit
• About OES - https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/1241/About
• Community Resources - https://www.nevadacountyca.gov/3517/211-Community-Resources
• 2024 REA…

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Placer County Fire Department (PCFD) provides all fire and emergency medical services. Through a Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) which was initiated in 1974, PCFD integrates state and local firefighting resources, career and volunteer, into an effective combination fire department.

Web pages

• Placer County Fire Dept. - https://www.placer.ca.gov/7625/Fire-Department
• Fire Stations - https://www.placer.ca.gov/7646/Fire-Stations

The Cal Fire Statewide Fire Map & Incident Information Center can be found here.

Web pages

• Home - https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2021/

The CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal provides and maintains the Fire Hazard Severity Zones (FHSZ) Map to identify areas throughout California with varying levels of wildfire risk. 

The map assesses potential wildfire hazards based on factors like vegetation, topography, weather patterns, and historical fire activity.

About the Map:

• Risk Levels: The map classifies areas into three categories:
  • Moderate: Areas with a low-to-moderate risk of wildfire due to vegetation type and density.
  • High: Areas with conditions that increase the likelihood of wildfire spread.
  • Very High: Areas where wildfire behavior is expected to be extreme, posing the highest risk to life, property, and natural resources.

The map allows users to enter an address to determine the fire hazard severity for specific locations.

Web pages

• Fire Hazard Severity Zones Map - https://osfm.fire.ca.gov/what-we-do/community-wildfire-preparedness-and-mitigation/fire-ha…

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The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) provides a High Fire Threat District (HFTD) map to identify areas with elevated or extreme wildfire risks. 

This map is used by utility companies, such as PG&E, to determine eligibility for certain safety programs, including portable backup battery programs.

About the Map:

The CPUC High Fire-Threat District Map includes three fire-threat areas:

• Zone 1: Tier 1 High-Hazard Zones (HHZs) identified by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and CAL FIRE. These zones are near communities, roads, and utility lines and pose a direct threat to public safety.
• Tier 2: Areas with elevated wildfire risk from overhead utility power lines and facilities.
• Tier 3: Areas with extreme wildfire risk, where the highest likelihood of fire initiation and growth exists. This tier requires the most stringent utility regulations to reduce fire risks.

Most of Nevada County and Placer County are designated as Tier 2 or Tier …

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Cal Fire serves and safeguards the people and protects the property and resources of California. Cal Fire is dedicated to the fire protection and stewardship of over 31 million acres of California's privately-owned wildland and provides varied emergency services in 36 of the State's 58 counties via contracts with local governments. 

Cal Fire duties include:

• Issuing burn permits and campfire permits
• Coordinating the RVETS program in partnership with California Department of Veterans Affairs and the California National Guard to streamline employment opportunities to returning veterans (RVETS=Returning Veterans; Enlisting Their Skills for CAL FIRE Service)
• Offering Fire Fighter 1 seasonal, temporary work outdoors with access to health benefits and opportunities to work in various locations throughout the state as well as a variety of other Fire Protection and Forester careers.
• Providing a Statewide Fire Map and inc…

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The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County has a variety of programs designed to increase fire safety in wildfire country.

• Access & Functional Needs (AFN) - Low-income senior residents or those with medical disabilities may qualify for assistance with defensible space clearing.
• Defensible Space Advisory Visit (DSAV) - This program provides a one-on-one consultation at your home for comprehensive education on compliance with defensible space requirements around structures.
• Chipping Program - The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County offers low-cost ($75/hr) chipping of brush cleared for defensible space of any permanent structure, and/or 30 feet from any roadside or driveway used for evacuation purposes.
• Address Signs - The Fire Safe Council of Nevada County creates Reflective Safety Address Signs so Public Safety personnel can find you in an emergency.
• Firewise USA® - The Firewise USA® Program provides resources to help homeowners learn how to adapt to living with wildfire while teaching…

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