LaCharles James (left) and Jim Cunningham, a volunteer, stand in front of an area thinned of eucalyptus, which increases the wildfire risk in Herald. James is the founder and president of the Herald Fire Prevention Council.

 

HERALD, CA (MPG) - An effort is underway to curb the threat of wildfires here.

Members of the California Conservation Corps have been thinning out areas of eucalyptus trees, which present a fire risk in a community with the highest wildfire danger rating in Sacramento County, according to the Herald Fire Protection District, which serves as the community’s fire department.

“Basically, we’ve got Godzilla here,” said LaCharles James, founder and president of the Herald Fire Prevention Council and a former volunteer firefighter, referring to the eucalyptus.

“It grows fast and burns hot,” said Jim Cunningham, a volunteer.

And the effort lacks funding for the work that needs to be done. An estimated 1,700 to 2,000 acres of eucalyptus trees are in Herald. And once the eucalyptus is cut, it can grow back in 18 months.

“This is why we are trying to chase big money out here,” James said.  

The council is looking for grants such as Cal Fire and FEMA grants. But thousands of groups are competing for the money. The council is seeking donations, too.

It will take five to 10 years at the current pace to get the work done out here, said James. Additional money might move the work along faster, he said.

“It’s really a great program,” said James Hendricks, about the effort to clear the eucalyptus. Hendricks is chief of the Herald Fire Prevention District, which is a volunteer fire department.

The efforts so far have focused on property owned by seniors, some of whom are unable to pay for the work to thin out the eucalyptus, James said.

LaCharles James, founder and president of the Herald Fire Prevention Council, surveys work to thin an area of eucalyptus, which poses a wildfire risk in Herald.

Thirty-five percent of the property owners here are seniors, and few lots are smaller than 2 acres, James said, which makes upkeep challenging for seniors.  

Some properties have forests on their lot, he said.

“We just finished work on a 7-acre lot,” James said, which took 2,800 California Conservation Corps team hours.

The California Conservation Corps is a program aimed at training youth for meaningful work and opportunities for education.

“The efforts underway by the Herald Fire Prevention Council and participating property owners to thin and clear excess vegetation can help reduce available fuels around homes and properties and are one component of broader wildfire preparedness,” said Blake Cottrell, Cal Fire Amador-El Dorado unit battalion chief.

The council has received two grants in three years and applied for a $1 million Cal Fire grant, James said.

Funding will provide resources, he said, and the next step is getting the community to be intentional about their survival.

Some community members, he said, resist having work done on their properties.  

“Our main focus is to make everybody safe,” he said.