Nevada County Fire Safe Council shuts down as state pulls funding from wildfire projects

A Nevada County nonprofit tasked with helping communities prepare for wildfires has shut down amid an embezzlement case involving its former executive director and the loss of state funding for several wildfire mitigation projects.

The Nevada County Fire Safe Council had been planning two major projects aimed at reducing wildfire risk, including a proposed 1,600-acre fuel break in Deer Creek Canyon and a home-hardening program for hundreds of homeowners.

Now, those projects are on hold.

Pete Williams, chairman of the Nevada County Fire Safe Council, confirmed the nonprofit has closed its doors.

"We have closed our doors," Williams said.

The shutdown comes as the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, or Cal OES, says it cannot reimburse the organization for grant expenses that were "not adequately documented and verified."

Williams said the state was seeking detailed records showing how grant-funded time and expenses were spent.

"What they wanted was, down to the quarter hour, what were you doing?" Williams said. "So every 15 minutes they need to know what you're doing."

Major wildfire projects put on hold

The Nevada County Fire Safe Council had been working on a roughly $7 million Deer Creek Canyon fuel-break project, designed to reduce fuels and create a buffer that could help slow the spread of a wildfire.

The organization was also overseeing a $4 million home-hardening project intended to help hundreds of homeowners make their properties more resistant to wildfire.

The loss of those projects is drawing concern from local officials.

Doug Fleming, a Nevada City councilmember, called the situation a major setback for the community.

"There's a lot of people that are going to be impacted by this," Fleming said.

Fleming said residents now need answers about what happened to the funding and what work was completed.

"I think residents now need a transparent accounting of what work was completed — what happened to the funding," Fleming said. "And where Cal OES and FEMA can preserve the project with another capable administrator."

The projects were intended to prepare Nevada County for the next major wildfire, but for now, those plans have been shelved.

Asked what happens next, Williams said the projects will not continue under the Fire Safe Council.

"They're dead. We're not continuing them, let's put it that way," Williams said.