On this episode of KNCO’s On The Town, broadcasting live from the 2026 Nevada County Fairgrounds in Grass Valley, Tom Fitzsimmons talks with Nevada County Office of Emergency Services Defensible Space Supervisor Ricky Martinez about wildfire preparedness in Nevada County. The conversation covers defensible-space inspections, Zone Zero, ember-resistant vents, home hardening, Firewise Communities, emergency go-bags, pet preparedness, evacuation routes and Nevada County emergency alerts. Martinez explains how removing combustible materials from the first five feet around a home can improve its chances of surviving a wildfire and ember storm. In the second half, Nevada County Falls Prevention Coordinator Hollie Grimaldi Flores previews the “Pride Before the Fall” Falls Prevention Summit at Sierra Presbyterian Church in Nevada City. She discusses home-safety checklists, proper footwear, lighting, grab bars, balance, medication, vision and hearing, what to do after a fall and the Five Wishes advance-care directive.