Nevada County officials preparing for potential emergency during red flag warning
SACRAMENTO -- With gusty winds and low humidity in the forecast for much of Northern California, Nevada County emergency officials are issunig a warning to make sure neighbors are prepared in case of an emergency.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, the Nevada County Sheriff's Office noted a dangerous forecast with high winds, low humidity, and dry fuel.
Nick Gitlin, Nevada County resident and volunteer firefighter, said, "We live moment to moment when it's like that. All fires start small and get big."
Gitlin has firsthand experience fighting "mountain wildfires".
"Yeah there's a lot of fuel here. It's very unpredictable. And the terrain, it's very difficult to fight fires in this area," he said.
This is a constant fire for many residents during wildfire season.
For Nevada City neighbor Cheri Feather, this kind of warning is worrisome but all she can do is prepare.
She said, "We have things packed, we have our RV packed. You know, if we need to get out of town."
Ahead of this kind of forecast, emergency officials are urging residents to rign up for their code-red alert system.
For Gitlin, he hopes people stay vigilant but more importantly, be smart.
He said, "It's going to be someone's chains or someone through a cigarette butt out the window. It's not always lightning. People have been here for many years, so hopefully they are responsible and prepared.
All the vehicles from other agencies have the capability to sound the hi-low siren, so if you hear that sound, it is not a test. It's an evacuation warning.
The Nevada County Sheriff's Office is also encouraging people to sign up for their code-red emergency alerts to stay up to date on anything that could happen.
To learn more about how you can sign up for those alerts, click here.