Contact Us: quailhollowfirewise@gmail.com
FIREWISE
2026 Newsletters
May 2026
Dear Neighbors:
We have a lot more announcements and information for you.
1) Much is happening in May and June: Event Announcements
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Week of May 3-May 9 is Wildfire Preparedness Week
CalFire has events and resources. See https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/wildfire-preparedness-week -
Sunday, May 10th (Mother's Day), 8am-noon: Felton Fire Mother's Day Pancake Breakfast
At the Felton Firestation house, 131 Kirby Street, Felton, CA 95018 -
Saturday, June 6th, 11am-4pm: Firewise Family Day at Roaring Camp
The event is free but please RSVP here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/firewise-family-day-at-roaring-camp -
Monday, June 8th, 6pm-8pm, our very own educational event: Lessons from CZU: Survivors Tell Their Stories
At 325 Marion Ave, Ben Lomond (SLVUSD office). See the attached flyer for more information. -
Sunday, June 21st (Father's Day), 7am-noon: Zayante Fire Pancake Breakfast
At the Zayante Fire Station, 7700 E Zayante Rd, Felton, CA 95018 -
Sunday, June 28th, 7am-11am: Ben Lomond Fire Pancake Breakfast
At the Ben Lomond Fire Station, 9430 Hwy 9, Ben Lomond, CA 95005 -
2) Residential backyard burning has ended in Santa Cruz County
See the attached flyer for more information on this, including some images of suspected escaped backyard burns.
3) Update on Quail Hollow Firewise Donations and Expenditures
You may recall that at one of our educational events we asked for donations to help pay for some of the Firewise related expenses. We wanted to give you an update where we stand and for what purpose the donations were used. Thanks to generous donations of $2,135 by our neighbors we have been able to pay for our street signs ($175), pay for dump fees for community cleanup events ($630), and support our educational events ($250). Thank you!
Our steering committee member Patricia Odello (odellop@gmail.com, 510 Marion Avenue) manages our finances and should you want to make a donation, please send her a check or contact her.
4) Marin Firewise: A treasure trove of great resources: https://firesafemarin.org/
5) Reminder: Our own neighborhood communications plan for emergencies
If you would like to be included in our text list, you must opt in.
To do so, please text ALERT to 22300
More information, as well as a Privacy Policy, can be found on the Quail Hollow Firewise web site at https://quailhollowfirewise.wixsite.com/home/communications.
May 2026
Dear Neighbors:
Happy Spring. We have a long list of announcements and information for you.
1) Firewise Top Ten Spring Checklist
To help you get ready for fire season, steering committee chair Jeff Wells has put together a top ten list which is attached to this e-mail: “Firewise Top Ten Spring Checklist.pdf”.
2) Mark your calendar: Our annual educational event has been scheduled!
The event, Lessons from CZU: Survivors Tell Their Stories, will be on Monday, June 8th, from 6pm-8pm at the SLVUSD offices at 325 Marion Avenue. More details to follow.
3) Neighborhood clean-up day is scheduled for Saturday, May 30th
For further information about this event and how you can participate please look for the e-mail that was sent a few days ago by steering committee member Patricia Odello or e-mail me if you missed it and I am happy to forward it to you.
3) Join Our Firewise Steering Committee
We want your input and need your help. Please read the attached pdf “Firewise Steering Committee Help Needed.PDF”.
4) Re proposed statewide Zone 0 regulations
As you may know, various state government agencies are currently reviewing revised Zone 0 regulations which could have significant consequences for us. The link below leads to a seven minute video from CalFire on the latest Zone 0 draft regulations:
https://calfire.app.box.com/s/3ja7vbmjy4rqwuqxhs4lr9uw2ec04khn
The video is embedded within the following press release from the California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection
PRESS RELEASE: Board Releases Latest Draft Zone 0 Regulations Ahead of Southern California Public Workshop
5) Reminder: Our own neighborhood communications plan for emergencies
If you would like to be included in our text list, you must opt in.
To do so, please text ALERT to 22300
More information, as well as a Privacy Policy, can be found on the Quail Hollow Firewise web site at https://quailhollowfirewise.wixsite.com/home/communications.
April 2026
Dear Neighbors,
In the aftermath of this morning’s earthquake, we would like to remind you that the Quail Hollow Firewise group has established a neighborhood communications plan for emergencies. Thanks to contributions from our neighbors, this system (on a service called One Call Now) will enable us to communicate important information during emergencies, including wildfires, extreme rain, and earthquakes.
The system enables us to send blast emergency emails and texts to everyone. However, under FCC regulations, texts require the cell phone owner's prior consent. If you would like to be included in our text list, you must opt in.
To do so, please text ALERT to 22300
More information, as well as a Privacy Policy, can be found on the Quail Hollow Firewise web site at https://quailhollowfirewise.wixsite.com/home/communications. If you are unsure whether you previously provided your consent to receive texts, feel free to resubmit your information.
Our intention is to utilize this service very sparingly and only when there is truly an emergency
We conclude this note with a screenshot of a post-earthquake FaceBook message from the Zayante Fire District.
March 2026
Dear Neighbors,
As promised here is the information from our county Firewise coordinator Lynn Sestak about how to sign up for the free chipping program:
This year there is no special password. Instead there is a link to a special webpage.
Here is the link: Firewise Chipping | Homepage
Reminder: Free Drop-off of green waste at the dump this Saturday, March 28th.
February 2026
This is our first (short) communication this year with two items for your attention.
1) GREAT news: the popular free Saturday drop-offs of green waste at our local Ben Lomond Transfer Station (aka the dump) are back, thanks to our 5th district supervisor Monica Martinez. Here is an excerpt from her announcement of the resumption of the program:
"Beginning on March 28, residents of the unincorporated areas of District 5 are invited to dispose of yard trimmings and other green waste at no cost at the Ben Lomond Transfer Station. The program will run on the last Saturday of each month from March to June from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Just show up - No need to make an appointment! Not sure if you live in an unincorporated area of District 5? See below for more information.
For details on load limits, green waste size and material restrictions, check out the program website and the FAQs (English or Spanish). "
The dates for your calendar are March 28th, April 25th, May 30th and June 27th
2) A Community Conversation with PG&E - District 5 Town Hall:
Hosted by Monica Martinez, the event is this coming Monday, March 2nd, from 6pm-7:30pm at the Boulder Creek Rec Center.
See the announcement web site for more details.
Now that spring is around the corner (today sure feels like it), we will restart our regular monthly newsletters next month and will make sure to inform you about our plans for the year, including our neighborhood clean-up day and educational event later this year.
