Rices Fire Resources – Nevada County

IF 211 IS ACTIVATED FOR A WILDFIRE, A DEDICATED WEB PAGE WILL BE LAUNCHED. YOU MAY REFER TO THE GENERAL INFO BELOW FOR KEEPING INFORMED.

Links to the Dashboard and Community.Zonehaven.com will have current info for any active wildfire in Nevada County for which there are evacuation orders or warnings, or road closures.

Call 2-1-1 or 833-342-5211 (833-DIAL211) for more information

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SPECIFIC INFO BELOW WAS FOR RICES FIRE. GENERAL INFO MAY BE USEFUL FOR ANY WILDFIRE.

EVACUATIONS | Stay Informed | Alerts | Temporary Evacuation Points and Animal Evacuation | Transportation | After Evacuation | How to Find People | Air Quality | Food & Other Personal Care | How to Help | Recovery | Utilities | Trusted Information Sources

Call 2-1-1 or 833-342-5211 (833-DIAL211) for more information

Fire started Tuesday afternoon, June 28, 2022 at apx 1400 (2pm) PDT

Ready Nevada County DASHBOARD WITH CURRENT INFO here

EVACUATIONS

EVACUATION MAPS

RICES FIRE Info as of 9:00am, Monday, July 5, 2022:

EVACUATION ORDER – LEAVE IMMEDIATELY

  • All evacuation orders are lifted

EVACUATION WARNING

  • All evacuation warnings are lifted

SHELTER IN PLACE

  • None.

ADVISORY

  • All evacuation advisories are lifted

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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Normal – There is no current knowledge of threats affecting your area and that you can carry on with normal activity.

ROAD CLOSURES – Ready Nevada County Dashboard

STATE PARK/OTHER CLOSURES

  • Due to the Rices Fire, Bridgeport State Park recreation area will be closed through the weekend of July 1-3

STAY INFORMED

Trusted information sources providing current updates

NEVADA COUNTY OFFICE OF EMERGENCY SERVICES

  • Ready Nevada County DASHBOARD WITH CURRENT INFO here
  • Twitter feed – @NevCoOES – here
  • Ready, Set, Go Guide – English (2022) – Spanish (2021). GO (evacuation) info starts on page 21 of the paper guide (page 24 of the PDF).

NEVADA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE

  • Twitter feed – @NevCoSheriff – here

CAL FIRE – NEVADA-YUBA-PLACER UNIT

  • Twitter feed – @CALFIRENEU – here – Detailed incident updates posted morning and evening
  • Cal Fire state-wide fire map and incident page here.
  • Cal Fire Rices Fire page

TWITTER – #RicesFire

ALERTS

CodeRED for all of Nevada County

CODE RED – SIGN UP & SET UP – FOR ALL OF NEVADA COUNTY

SIGN UP for CodeRED alerts

  • To sign up for an UNMANAGED (or “Guest”) account, call 2-1-1 or 833-342-5211 (833-DIAL211) if you’d like help registering.
  • To create a MANAGED account, or to create a Guest account on your own, go here. A managed account allows you to modify your existing notification settings and contact information. You may also further customize the types of notifications you receive and add an additional address.

SET PHONE TO GET ALERTS AFTER SIGNING UP

  • Cordless & electric phones need to have power and have the ringer turned on (a traditional corded land line phone does not need electricity, but the ringer does need to be turned on).
  • Cell phones need to be on and have the ringer turned on. Program the two CodeRED numbers into your phone so you know who the call is coming from: CodeRED Emergency Alert 866-419-5000; CodeRED General Alert 855-969-4636; CodeRED Text Alert 218-350-0131. If you set your cell phone to DO NOT DISTURB at night, learn how to set it so CodeRED alerts can come through. Do an internet search on “how to bypass do not disturb on ________ (Android or iPhone).”

TEMPORARY EVACUATION POINTS AND ANIMAL EVACUATION

As Evacuation Centers, Temporary Evacuation Points (TEPs), and/or Congregate Shelters open for evacuees, locations will display below.

TEMPORARY EVACUATION POINTS

  • None

ANIMAL EVACUATIONS

Animals evacuated from this fire can go to:

  • No animal evac at this time

NOT SEEING ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS? CURRENT INCIDENT INFO. (INCLUDING SHELTERS AND TEPS) FROM CAL FIRE

If you believe that a Temporary Evacuation Point or Congregate Shelter has been established and is not yet displaying here, please visit CalFire’s website at www.fire.ca.gov. On the top left corner of CalFire’s website, click on “Incidents.” A drop down menu will appear. Choose the current year and scroll below the fire map to see a list of incidents. The most current incidents will show at the top of the list. Choose which incident you would like to see more information on by clicking on the name of the incident. On the incident page that appears, you will find information about the percentage of containment, evacuation order zones, available shelters, and more. Continue scrolling down to see all of the information displayed.

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.

TRANSPORTATION

Call 911 if you are stuck in an Evacuation ORDER zone without 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 (public bus): 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

AFTER EVACUATION

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.

HOW DO I SAFELY RETURN HOME?

When entering the burned area, residents need to be on alert for hot spots, rolling debris, and other hazards. Do not enter areas that appear unsafe. There may still be heavy first responder traffic in the area. Please travel through the area with caution.

IF HOME IS DAMAGED OR DESTROYED

If your home is damaged or destroyed, you will be notified by County of Nevada staff. The County of Nevada and 211 can help provide recovery information for your situation.

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.

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
  • ARC has information about Emergency! App (English and Spanish) and more here.
  • Tips for finding people / contacting loved ones here.

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.
  • Spare the Air provides Air Quality Information for the Sacramento Region from the Sacramento Metropolitan, El Dorado, Feather River, Placer, and Yolo-Solano Air Districts. Sign up for air quality alerts 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.

FOOD & OTHER PERSONAL CARE

Food, Clothing, Counseling, and More

FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS – Visit web pages below or call 211 for details on these and other 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 for a cost of $10 or $15 for a one day use pass. There may be other options available such as a 7 consecutive days pass, a 10 visit pass, or a monthly or annual pass. Call the gym closest to your location once you’ve evacuated to ask whether that gym’s location has been impacted by the fire and if showers are available.

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.

AIR QUALITY IN THE HOME

  • DIY (DO IT YOURSELF) AIR FILTER – Directions for how to build a Do-It-Yourself Fan/Filter Room Air Cleaner are here.
  • 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.

VISION

If you’ve lost or broken your eyewear or need eye care due to a recent fire, VSP (Vision Service Plan) may be able to help. Visit VSP’s website for more information here. VSP Network Doctors: Call 1-800-615-1883 to learn about resources available to you. VSP Members: Call 1-800-877-7195. Non-VSP Members: Contact a local Red Cross chapter (find a local Red Cross chapter here) to request a VSP Eyes of Hope Disaster Relief gift certificate. Gift certificate information is available here.

HOW TO HELP

DONATIONS

Firefighters are well taken care of and typically do not accept any donations…especially not food during COVID. People can contact local food banks and American Red Cross to make cash donations.

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.

RECOVERY

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.
  • 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.
  • UNITED POLICYHOLDERS is a non-profit consumer organization and trusted resource helping disaster survivors with insurance issues for more than 30 years. They offer free webinars, and you can view recordings of prior ones on topics of relevance to your situation. For more information visit www.uphelp.org/2021wildfires (as of July 1, 2022 there is not a separate section for 2022 California wildfires) and https://uphelp.org/recovery/. Questions? Email info@uphelp.org

IMMEDIATE NEEDS

Call 2-1-1 for information about food distributions, where to get clothing, and more. Some resources are also provided in the Food & Other Personal Care section of this webpage.

FINANCIAL HELP

[Following is an incident template for info about The Nevada County Relief Fund. 211 is waiting to hear whether or not the relief fund will be activated for the Rices Fire.] The Nevada County Relief Fund online application for [incident name] survivors is at www.nevcorelief.org/apply/. If you were displaced as a result of the [incident name], 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.

Immediate safety

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

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. If people are unable to return home for some time, they can do a permanent or temporary change of address here. See USPS service alerts here.

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.

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.

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)