Sunday, January 20

In case of fire…

…pray.

One of the requirements in our building permit is that we have a 2-1/2 inch fire hydrant accessible to fire trucks. That explains why we have over a thousand feet of 3-inch water line, and ten thousand gallons of water up the hill.

I found out that a shiny new bronze fire hydrant valve costs over $200

I talked with the people at all four of the fire stations in our area. The ones in Bootjack,  Raymond, Ahwahnee and Oakhurst all agreed—if we start to burn, it will take at least an hour for them to respond. That is, if nothing else is burning in the area.

Oh, and to make us feel even better, California has recently imposed a $150 annual fee per habitable building on the property for rural fire protection. The money goes into the general fund, not to the rural fire stations. Isn’t that nice. At least the money should go to the Firefighters’ Marshmallow Fund since by the time they arrive, the embers should be just right for toasting them.