Prepping a Boulder Creek home for winter comes down to five jobs you can finish in one good October afternoon: sign up for alerts, clear your drainage, check your trees, stock a week of supplies, and learn where to read road conditions. This walks through each one, plus the generator rule that prevents carbon monoxide deaths and where to find sandbags in town.

Before anyone puts a saw to a tree on your property, sort out three things: whether the job needs a permit, whether the crew is licensed and insured for tree work specifically, and whether the plan actually serves your fire safety. This explains defensible-space limits, what an ISA Certified Arborist adds, and the questions to ask before you sign.