In the midst of drifting smoke haze from wildfires, forced evacuations, and wildfire news all over the media, back-to-school kids in northern California are getting lessons on fire preparedness.
Ridge-area sixth graders, just east of Chico, California, have been learning the do’s and don’ts of keeping their families safe in the event of a wildfire. The Paradise Post reported on a new curriculum designed by the Butte County Fire Safe Council, which received a grant from PG&E that supplied educational materials to local sixth-grade classes.
Local Pine Ridge teacher Mike Gulbranson told his class on Thursday, “We’re going to focus specifically on wildfire in the foothills because this is where you live.”
He ran his students through instructional material ranging from identifying hazardous vegetation to the geographical makeup of the local area and why it’s especially susceptible to wildfire.
“Fires love elevation,” Gulbranson told the kids. He explained how a fire on the lower part of the ridge is more likely to move up the ridge rather than down. Taylor Cook, 11, was asked about how trees might catch fire from the underbrush below. She correctly identified the hazard as “ladder fuels” and said she’d learned about ladder fuels on a field trip. The schools program is supported by community donations and grant funding from Pacific Gas and Electric Company
