Author: ALPHA Board of Directors

Fire Danger Increasing
With one of the driest winters on record and a lack of foreseeable precipitation this spring, the fire danger is likely to be VERY high this year. Unless we get substantial rain and snow in March/April, we can look forward to a dry summer that comes with a significant threat of wild fire in our community.

Please take the appropriate steps to protect your property and community by removing dead or dying timber (whether standing or not), clearing your lot(s) appropriately of needles, slash, and other potentially flammable debris. There are a number of trees in Lilac Park infected with the Bark Beetle and these should be removed to reduce fire loading and to prevent spreading these pests to healthy trees.

See CalFire’s Lot Clearance Guidelines for appropriate clearances and other things you can do to protect your property. Start early, doing a little bit over a longer period of time helps make it an easier task. If you are unable to do this yourself, consider hiring a lot clearing service. Preliminary CalFire inspections have already begun.

Water Conservation
The lack of rainfall and snow in the Sierras this winter will also have an impact on water storage that comes from the many lakes, streams, and rivers in our area. Proper water conservation practices are crucial to preventing heavy restrictions on use of water and most are relatively simple and inexpensive to put into use around your Lilac Park home.

Here are just a few tips to help conserve:

• When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.
• Run your clothes washer and dishwasher only when they are full. You can save up to 1,000 gallons a month.
• If your shower fills a one-gallon bucket in less than 20 seconds, replace the showerhead with a water-efficient model.
• Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables, then reuse it to water houseplants.
• Upgrade older toilets with water efficient models or, as a less expensive alternative, replace the internal flush assembly with a water conserving model.

Here’s 100 tips you can use around your home and business to help conserve water.