I am sure you all know we just had a devastating fire named the McBride Fire. It came very close to Alto, but fortunately, did not come into Alto.
Over 200 people lost their homes; two people died in the fire, and several suffered burns and smoke inhalation. Several thousand acres burned. The fire started from power lines falling on trees in high winds. The day the fire started, the winds were gusting in some places to as high as 90 miles per hour.
This is a grim reminder of what can happen, how quickly fire can spread, and the damage it can do.
If the wind had shifted just a little bit and come more north, we would have had major damage and loss of homes in Alto. This is why it is so important for every property owner in Alto to take care of their property and do tree, grass, and brush thinning.
I drove through the areas that burned; there were multiple parcels where thinning had been done in which the fire did not burn the houses, only the grass. If it had not been for the firefighters, the damage would have been far worse.
Please take seriously your obligation to take care of your property and help make our entire community safe.
Sincerely,
Scott Miller
Alto Board Member