Truckee leader brings early wildfire detection to Nevada County

Truckee leader brings early wildfire detection to Nevada County

TRUCKEE, Calif. — In the early hours of July 16, 2025, smoke drifted quietly down the Bear River drainage near Grass Valley. Before fire crews were even dispatched, the community was already taking action, alerted by sensors and a wildfire app. A year earlier, Truckee Firewise leader and KNOW Wildfire founder Heather Dawson had introduced N5SHIELD, a wildfire and smoke detection system paired with a community app, tools that proved crucial in th…