LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – In an effort to promote wildfire preparedness and prevention, the Kelseyville Fire Protection District, Ukiah Oxygen and the Lake County Wine Alliance have come together to host a fire extinguisher giveaway for Lake County residents on Sunday, Aug. 18, at 9 a.m. at the Riviera Elementary School in Kelseyville.
Initiated by Lake County District 5 Supervisor Rob Brown, the fire extinguisher giveaway is designed to arm local residents with a valuable tool that could help prevent a small fire from becoming a wildfire.
“We have seen when a wildfire starts, someone is usually near enough to see it and call in a report,” Brown said. “So we thought, wouldn’t it be good if that person also was armed with a fire extinguisher in their vehicle that could be used to knock back flames while firefighters are on their way?”
Brown said the 500 fire extinguishers that will be given away are not small auto or kitchen extinguishers but rather larger extinguishers that could make a real impact in the first few minutes of a blaze.
“We know that early actions can make a big difference in how rapidly a fire grows,” said Kelseyville Fire Protection District Chief Joe Huggins. “Getting these types of extinguishers in the hands of the public has the potential to help slow the spread and possibly help prevent another disastrous wildfire.”
A team from Kelseyville Fire Protection District will be on site providing training on how to use both types of extinguishers immediately after the giveaway.
Two types of fire extinguishers will be available during the giveaway: 150 of the 2.5-gallon stainless steel water-filled extinguishers, which weigh about 40 pounds each, and 350 of the ABC chemical-filled extinguishers that weigh 10 pounds each and are used to smother flames.
The extinguishers are being made available for the giveaway at a significantly reduced cost thanks to the generous support of Ukiah Oxygen.
Major funding for the fire extinguisher giveaway is covered by the Lake County Rising Fire Relief Fund, which is administered by the Lake County Wine Alliance.
“We jumped at the chance to support this,” said Kaj Ahlmann, president of the Lake County Wine Alliance, which was one of three wine-industry organizations that together raised more than $1 million in the Lake County Rising Fire Relief Fundraising Effort after the Valley fire.
The Lake County Wine Alliance committed the entire $28,000 necessary to fund the fire extinguisher giveaway.
Ahlmann said, “Our organization has been so active in supporting fire relief and rebuilding efforts that it is a natural extension to support programs to help prepare for and prevent wildfires.”
The Lake County Wine Alliance hosts the annual Lake County Wine Auction fundraiser, and this year, the organization is committing one-third of the funds raised at the event to support the needs of the five fire protection districts in Lake County.
This year’s wine auction will be held Saturday, Sept. 21, at Chacewater Winery in Kelseyville. For details on how to attend, sponsor, or donate, visit www.winealliance.org .
Riviera Elementary School is located at 10505 Fairway Drive in Kelseyville. The giveaway will begin promptly at 9 a.m. in the school parking lot, and the fire-extinguisher training will follow immediately after the giveaway.
For questions about the giveaway, contact Rob Brown, 707-349-2628.
As one of the three organizations that established the Lake County Rising Fire Relief Fund after the Valley Fire, the Lake County Wine Alliance, in partnership with the Lake County Winegrape Commission and Lake County Winery Association, raised more than $1 million that helped with community rebuilding.
Funds were disbursed to organizations to support: youth sports, agriculture, and music programs and equipment replacement; youth science camp and garden program; mental health services and temporary housing for needy families; a community art center that offered programs for community healing; medical clinics, food pantries, and meals for seniors; chipping programs and seedlings for reforestation efforts; an environmental assessment report for a wastewater system in a devastated community; and construction of a dormitory to house much-needed volunteer builders.
Formed in 2000, the Lake County Wine Alliance is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization operated under the guidance of a six-member volunteer board of directors with the purpose of supporting charitable and other local programs in the arts, health, and community. To learn more or to donate, visit: www.winealliance.org .
Fire extinguisher giveaway set for Aug. 18; Wine Alliance sponsors effort to promote wildfire preparedness
- Lake County News reports
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