Alpine Fire Safe Council poster contest winners

The Rim fire showered Alpine with heavy ash for weeks: a reminder of the damage wildfires create. Our local Fire Safe Council works to educate the public about wildfires.

One way they do that is by holding an annual poster contest at Diamond Valley School. The contest is co-sponsored by Cal Fire and Fire Wise, which operates under the U.S. Forest Service.

Initially, Council Member Shirley Taylor coordinated with the Alpine Parents Club and school representative Dawn Riddle, to set a theme for the project.

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This year’s theme is “Big Fires Start Small.”

Since the Rim fire smoke and ash directly affected the schoolchildren, the older grades were scheduled to add research elements before starting the posters. Posters were completed at school and sent to the Fire Safe Council for judging. Fire Safe Council Coordinator Kris Hartnett announced the winners at an assembly on Oct. 18 at Diamond Valley School.

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Winners of the contest received certificates for purchasing books and educational games at the school’s book fair. On Tuesday, winners will be recognized by Alpine Supervisors in Markleeville. Parents are encouraged to attend.

The Fire Safe Council is also sponsoring a biannual defensible space clean-up program, which is a biomass pile located at Turtle Rock Park. There is no charge to residents or business owners to bring pine needles and downed fuel to the above location.

The program, which offered free curbside chipping of downed fuels, was successful this year. The council also awarded two scholarships to firefighters for completion of the fire academy: Mason Jackson and Drew Hughes were the recipients.

The Fire Safe Council meetings are held 6 p.m. the last Monday of each month, at either the Markleeville and Woodfords Fire Station. For information contact Hartnett at (530)694-1710.