The Jones Fire, the biggest wildfire in Nevada County in a number of years, torching 705 acres and destroying 21 structures last August, has also heightened slide concerns among property owners this winter. Mary Eldridge, with Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit, says prevention measures are taken as soon as possible…

Eldridge says foothill wildfires are especially vulnerable…

The Jones Fire also caused major damage to the Independence Trail, west of Highway 49, resulting in an indefinite closure. It scorched several wooden flumes and bridges. The heat from a wildfire makes it harder for water to infiltrate the top soil layer. Ash tends to clog the soil and oily substances can affect the ground’s ability to absorb water from winter storms. Impact from the rain can also help seal the top layer of sediment, resulting in the soils becoming repellent to water and increasing flows on the surface downhill.