A recent myMotherLode.com poll showed that wildfire is the number one concern of Mother Lode residents. With the recent lack of significant rain and snow, it’s a critical issue. Homelessness, a national tragedy, ranked third but the two are not unrelated given past incidents including a recent fire on or near the site of the now closed “Camp Hope.” We note that 54% of the fires responded to by the LAFD recently have been caused by the unhoused. In a rural area like ours with multiple encampments, it’s a looming problem.
