Recovery | Alerts | Evacuations | Transportation | Utilities | Air Quality | After Evacuation / Returning Home | Personal Care | How to Help | Information Sources
Call 2-1-1 for more information
EVACUATIONS
As of Thursday morning 8/26/21…
Check Ready Nevada County Dashboard and Community.Zonehaven.com for updates
EVACUATION ORDER – LEAVE IMMEDIATELY
All Evacuation ORDERS have been lifted.
EVACUATION WARNING
All Evacuation WARNINGS have been lifted.
SHELTER IN PLACE
All shelter in place orders have been lifted.
TEMPORARY EVACUATION POINT
Nevada Union High School is a Temporary Evacuation Point for Bennett Fire. 11761 Ridge Rd, Grass Valley, CA 95945
ANIMAL EVACUATION
Animals evacuated from the Bennett Fire can go to Nevada County Fairgrounds through Gate 8.
SHELTER OPTIONS FROM RED CROSS
If people are under a mandatory evacuation order and Temporary Evacuation Points are closed, they can call Red Cross 24/7 at 844-236-0153.
EVACUATION ZONE NUMBERS – NEVADA COUNTY OES
Know Your Zone – Ready Nevada County. FIND YOUR ZONE here.
EVACUATION STATUS LEVELS
- Evacuation Order – An immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to leave now. The area is lawfully closed to public access.
- Evacuation Warning – A potential threat to life and/or property. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets and livestock should leave now.
- Advisory – A notice to be on alert and follow county recommendations.
- Clear To Repopulate – It is safe to return to your home. Be aware of your surroundings and go through the returning home checklist.
- Shelter In Place – An order to go indoors. Shut and lock doors and windows. Prepare to self-sustain until further notice and/or contacted by emergency personnel for additional direction.
- Normal – There is no current knowledge of threats affecting your area and that you can carry on with normal activity.
NEVADA COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES – DASHBOARD; TWITTER FEED; READY, SET, GO GUIDE
- Ready Nevada County Dashboard with current info here
- Twitter feed – @NevCoOES – here
- Ready, Set, Go Guide – English – Spanish. GO (evacuation) info starts on page 21 of the paper guide (page 24 of the PDF).
CALFIRE MAP
Cal Fire Statewide Fire Map & Incident Information here. Bennett Fire specifics here.
TRANSPORTATION
Call 911 if you are stuck in an Evacuation ORDER zone without a way of transportation and there is an immediate threat to your life.
Call 211 if you are in an Evacuation WARNING zone and you are in need of transportation.
PUBLIC TRANSIT FOR EVACUATIONS
If needed for evacuations, the County will activate public transportation resources. Nevada County transit services can ONLY help in Evacuation WARNING zones.
EVACUATING WITH ANIMALS – BUS & PARATRANSIT
Nevada County Connects bus service (formerly Gold Country Stage) and Nevada County Now paratransit service (formerly Gold Country Lift) are providing transportation for evacuees with animals as follows:
- Service animals are allowed. No size or type restrictions (except that they must be small enough to fit on the bus).
- Non-service animals are allowed. Size requirement: animals must be in a leak proof cage that is carried and controlled by their owner. No type of animal restrictions (birds, snakes, and others are welcome). No large non-service animals allowed who cannot be carried (e.g., horses, cows).
CONTACT:
- Nevada County Connects: 530-477-0103
- Nevada County Now Paratransit: 530-271-7433, toll free 855-341-7433
ROAD CLOSURES
Call CalTrans for information on road closures and updates on road conditions: 1-800-427-7623
- Nevada County – Zonehaven
HOW TO FIND PEOPLE
- When people are in American Red Cross (ARC) care at shelters, ARC observes strict confidentiality and will not release names of clients
- Evacuees can register themselves on a public ARC website called Safe and Well. INFORMATION IS PUBLIC.
- ARC has information about Emergency! App (English and Spanish) and more here.
- Tips for finding people / contacting loved ones here.
TRUSTED INFORMATION SOURCES
In the event of a disaster, Nevada County Office of Emergency Services recommends the following trusted information sources (aka trusted news sources) per Ready Nevada County’s “Ready, Set, Go” Guide.
- 211Connecting Point, 2-1-1 or 833-DIAL211 (833-342-5211), 211ConnectingPoint.org
- CHP Grass Valley, 530-477-4900
- County of Nevada, 530-265-1218, MyNevadaCounty.com
- County of Nevada Office of Emergency Services, 530-265-1515, ReadyNevadaCounty.org
- Sierra Sun, SierraSun.com
- The Union, TheUnion.com
- YubaNet, YubaNet.com
- KNCO 830AM, KNCO.com
- KOH 780AM, KKOH.com
- KTKE 101.5 FM, TruckeeTahoeRadio.com
- KVMR 89.5 FM & 105.1 FM, KVMR.org
- Nevada County Media, NevadaCountyMedia.org, Channel 17 (Comcast & Suddenlink)
UTILITIES
Contact PG&E to:
- Ask about bill payment assistance
- Immediately stop service
- Learn more about power restoration, financial support and the rebuilding process
Call Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) at 1-800-743-5000 or visit PG&E’s Wildfire Recovery Support webpage for more information.
AIR QUALITY
AIR QUALITY DATA
AirNow is a website for air quality data. It highlights air quality in your local area first, and also provides air quality information with state, national, and world views. An interactive map lets you zoom out to get the big picture or drill down to see data for a single air quality monitor.
CREATE A CLEAN ROOM FOR AIR QUALITY
Info from the Environmental Protection Agency about how to create a clean room to protect indoor air quality during a wildfire is here.
MASKS FOR WILDFIRE SMOKE
To protect your lungs from smoky air, choose a mask called a particulate respirator that has the word “NIOSH” and either “N95” or “P100” printed on it. These are sold at many hardware and home repair stores and pharmacies. California Department of Public Health provides more information here.
DIY (DO IT YOURSELF) AIR FILTER
Directions for how to build a Do-It-Yourself Fan/Filter Room Air Cleaner are here.
AFTER EVACUATION / RETURNING HOME
HOW WILL I KNOW WHEN I CAN GO HOME?
Once it is safe to return to homes in Nevada County, the info will be shared on social media, through CodeRED calls, and as a notification on the Nevada County Sheriff CA app. To download the app, go to the App Store and search for the Nevada County Sheriff CA app.
Call 2-1-1 or 833-342-5211 (833-DIAL211) to understand how to receive a re-entry pass for closed evacuation areas monitored by law enforcement.
CLEANUP AFTER A FIRE GUIDELINES
DO NOT begin debris removal before contacting the County. If people start to do things before contacting insurance and County, they may become ineligible for financial support of different kinds. There are also issues about how to safely dispose of lots of kinds of debris. The County helps advise on all this.
INSURANCE CLAIMS
If you are a resident who lost your home or experienced fire damage to your home or property, contact the California Department of Insurance (CDI) and your insurance agent before removing anything or doing any clean-up on your property. Cleaning up prior to contacting your insurance company could result in a loss of insurance claims.
See the CDI’s Top 10 Tips for Wildfire Claimants.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS
Call 2-1-1 for information about food distributions, where to get clothing, and more. Some resources are also provided under the Personal Care section of this webpage.
| The Nevada County Relief Fund online application for River Fire survivors is at www.nevcorelief.org/apply/. If you were displaced as a result of the River Fire, the Nevada County Relief Fund may be able to provide short-term assistance to fill immediate needs such as temporary accommodations, groceries, gas, etc. or make repairs necessary to help get you rehoused. Grantmaking limited to funds raised; applications will be evaluated by County caseworkers. People can donate to the fund here. |
RETURNING HOME AFTER A WILDFIRE
See CalFire post-wildfire resources here. Brochure/checklist here.
What to expect after a wildfire
IF YOUR HOME IS DESTROYED
If you know for certain that you have lost your home in a disaster, call the American Red Cross at 844-236-0153 any time 24/7. ARC can open a case file and there may be resources available through ARC to help.
FIRE RETARDANT CLEANUP
From US Forest Service
INSURANCE COVERAGE MAY HELP WITH EVACUATION COSTS
Residents who have been ordered to evacuate due to wildfires may have homeowner’s or renter’s insurance coverage to help with evacuation and relocation costs, even if their homes are not damaged or destroyed. Additional Living Expense coverage, known as ALE, typically includes food and housing costs, furniture rental, relocation and storage, and extra transportation expenses. Residents are urged to keep all receipts accrued during the evacuation and to contact their insurance company to start the claims process.
USPS MAIL DELIVERY
The USPS holds mail for people affected by evacuations. Delivery will resume when evacuation orders are lifted. People can collect mail any time at the Post Office by presenting a picture ID.
REBUILDING AFTER A WILDFIRE
Rebuilding info from Cal OES, the California Office of Emergency Services.
Call 2-1-1 for details about food distributions near you.
PERSONAL CARE
FOOD & TOILETRIES DISTRIBUTION
The Nevada County Left Coalition provides a mutual aid distribution of food (including non-cook food items and produce), toiletries, masks, hand sanitizer, condoms, tampons, houseless care packages, and winter clothing. Mobile distribution available. Service in English and Spanish.
- WHAT: Free Mutual Aid distribution
- WHEN: Saturdays, 10am-12pm
- WHERE: 246 South Church Street, Grass Valley, CA 95945
- CONTACT: 530-362-8219, ncmutualaid@gmail.com
FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS
CLOTHING
Free clothing available at Grass Valley PARTNERS Family Resource Center 530-273-4059 (people without kids are welcome too) and Hospitality House 530-271-7144.
TRAUMA COUNSELING & SPIRITUAL SUPPORT
Nevada County Behavioral Health Crisis Line: 530-265-5811. Nevada County Sheriff’s Office Chaplain: 530-265-7880.
CALFRESH REPLACEMENT BENEFITS
If you are a current CalFresh recipient affected by the disaster you may be eligible to receive replacement benefits for food bought with CalFresh that was lost as a result of a disaster. Replacement must be requested within ten days of the disaster. Please contact Nevada County for additional information on how to request supplemental disaster benefits or use the following link to apply www.getcalfresh.org/replace.
SHOWERS
Showers are available at most gyms including the South Yuba Club. Details: $15 for a day use pass. $120 for a 10 visit pass good for one year. 530-272-7676. 130 W Berryhill Dr, Grass Valley, CA 95945.
ARE YOU LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO TALK TO?
The National Disaster Distress Helpline is a multilingual, confidential helpline that offers crisis support services available to all U.S. disaster survivors or responders, 24/7, 365 days a year. To connect with a trained counselor:
- Call 1-800-985-5990
- Text 66746
- For Spanish speaking callers, call 1-800-985-5990 and dial 2 for 24/7 bilingual support.
For more information, including access for anyone who is deaf/hard of hearing or a Spanish speaker, please visit SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress webpage here.
HOW TO HELP
DONATIONS
If you have items you wish to donate in Nevada County, please call 2-1-1. You will receive a call back from Nevada County Staff.
| The Nevada County Relief Fund is seeking donations to provide people with short-term assistance to fill immediate needs such as temporary accommodations, groceries, gas, etc. or make repairs necessary to help get them rehoused. Donate to the fund here. |
VOLUNTEERING
Volunteer opportunities in Nevada County will be posted on the Connecting Point Volunteer Hub as available. Please note that all animal evacuation volunteers must be trained and approved in advance of any incident.
HOME SHARING
HomeShare American River is a nonprofit housemate-matching service that serves to quickly take advantage of housing we already have. Match agreements can include exchanges of lower rent for affordable in-home services for “hosts” (and thus informal employment for “guests”). 530-746-8681. Service area includes Nevada County and Placer County.