C ALI FORN IA’S OLDE ST NE W SPAPER
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– Weekend Edition – mtdemocrat.com
FRIDAY, APRIL 17, 2026
VOLUME 175 • ISSUE 31 | $1.00
Wildfire Safety Day connects experts with residents Andrew Vonderschmitt Features editor
As wildfire risk intensifies across Northern California, organizers of the county’s annual Wildfire Safety Day say education and preparation are more critical than ever. The event is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at Midtown Mall, 681 Main St. in Placerville. Steve Allan, event co-chair, said one of the key resources available to residents is a free home assessment program designed to help property owners better protect their homes. “The assessment is one of the anchors of the Firewise program,” Allan said. “It’s a non-binding, nonthreatening inspection that helps homeowners understand where they stand with defensible space and home hardening.” Trained assessors, working in coordination with Cal Fire, spend up to two hours evaluating a property. The visit includes an educational component covering state requirements, fireMountain Democrat file photo by Shelly Thorene
■ See SAFETY DAY, page A9
Mountain lion legislation gets through committee News release SACRAMENTO — Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil’s (R-Jackson) Senate Bill 1397 cleared the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on April 14, delivering a major win for rural communities across Senate District 4 and strengthening protections for people statewide against dangerous mountain lion conflicts. The bill requires the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to maintain, enhance, and expand its Human-Mountain Lion Conflict Program with a clear focus on nonlethal deterrence, scientific research, public education and proactive response to keep families, livestock and pets safe. It mandates regular engagement with high-conflict counties, annual legislative updates and a full report to lawmakers in 2031. For rural Senate District 4, especially El Dorado County, the epicenter of the crisis, the stakes are life-and-death, according to Alvarado-Gil. In 2024, residents reported more than 200 domestic animals killed, with brazen daytime sightings near schools and a tragic, unprovoked attack that killed one
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■ See LEGISLATION , page A8
Grizzly Flat residents who want to rebuild but have not been able to start the process have a new financial resource to help them. It has been nearly five years since the Caldor Fire destroyed the small community.
Caldor Fire rebuild program gets $550k financial boost Shelly Thorene Staff writer
The El Dorado County Board of Supervisors passed Resolution No. 064-2026 on April 6, authorizing $550,150 from the Affordable Housing Special Revenue Fund be added to the Caldor Fire Grizzly Flat Homeowner Rebuild Program, which will provide forgivable financial assistance to a minimum of 12 qualifying applicants in the Grizzly Flat area whose primary residences were destroyed by the 2021 Caldor Fire and who have been unable to rebuild. “It’s been a long time coming to find an out-of-thebox solution that allows so many residents in Grizzly Flat the opportunity and means to rebuild their lives after the devastation created by the Caldor Fire,” said District 2 Supervisor George Turnboo, whose district includes the south county community. “It’s more than just building four walls and a roof; it’s rebuilding a community, providing safety, permanence and a home,” Turnoo continued. “The Board of Supervisors recognized these very real needs and unanimously voted to bring the program to life so Grizzly Flat residents can finally get on
with theirs.” Turnboo was joined by Supervisors Greg Ferrero, Lori Parlin and Brian Veerkamp in support of the resolution. Supervisor Brooke Laine was absent from last week’s meeting. The resolution states HRP Funds are intended to “leverage donated resources, including labor and materials, for the complete repair, rehabilitation or reconstruction of these primary residences to help displaced residents safely return to permanent housing.” Funds from the Affordable Housing Special Revenue Fund are generated solely from contributions through county development agreements.
Partnerships make program possible County funds are distributed only after donated resources and participant contribution requirements are met. Any funds left after the completion of a home are to be returned to the county. Each resident is eligible for $73,318 in forgivable financial assistance from HRP funds and eligibility is not ■ See REBUILD, page A9
Motorcyclist throttles back after devastating wreck Shelly Thorene Staff writer
Tony Dyer, a 58-year-old motorcyclist who was badly injured in a head-on crash with a vehicle has made a miraculous recovery thanks to the speedy attention he received from El Dorado County Fire first responders, surgical teams at Sutter Roseville Medical Center and the nursing support received at The Pines at Placerville Healthcare Center on Thompson Way. Dyer suffered injuries to his hands and legs in the crash on Cold Springs Road near Paso Diablo Road last November and was airlifted to Sutter Roseville Medical Center where he required 13 surgeries in the first few days after the collision. “I heard 60 people had worked on me after the crash,” Dyer said. He recently got the chance to thank the first responders who saved his life when they paid him a visit at The Pines. “It was a major trauma,” recalled EDCFPD paramedic Andrew Pryor, one of four first responders on scene. “He was very injured and we did what we are trained to do. He was hypotensive and in shock, his lungs were collapsed and we had to perform some very invasive medical interventions.” Teamwork with the crew on the medical helicopter ■ See RECOVERY, page A8
Mountain Democrat photo by Shelly Thorene
Tony Dyer, 58, and his mother Cathie, 78, left, meet with El Dorado County firefighters to thank them for saving his life after a motorcycle accident on Cold Springs Road last November. Dyer required 13 surgeries and a team of 60 healthcare professionals at Sutter Roseville Medical Center in the days following the crash. He recovered at The Pines at Placerville Healthcare Center and was joined at the facility by Cathie, who helped arrange the meeting with first responders.