County Fire Efforts Shift to Recovery
In any disaster there is a transition from the immediate emergency to recovery and rebuilding. That is where many California counties find themselves right now after suffering through the worst firestorms the state has ever seen. The fires are almost totally contained, but rebuilding is just beginning.
“We’re now switching to recovery mode,” Napa County Supervisor Belia Ramos told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s a long road to recovery, and I look forward to the day this can be a distant memory in which we recall that we were resilient and that we got through this together,” she said, adding that the people who have been so generous with donations in the past two weeks also need to consider the future. “Pace yourselves. Coordinate your generosity. We need you for the long haul.”
The task of rebuilding is made even more difficult because so many homes have been destroyed where there was already a lack of housing. “We’re going to have to house individuals for the next 12-24 months while they rebuild their homes,” State Senator Mike McGuire told the Sacramento Bee. McGuire, whose district covers parts of fire-ravaged Sonoma, Napa, Lake and Mendocino counties, also commented on resiliency. “We can’t lose that heart, and it’s why we are so focused right now, even in the fierce firefight, on what it will take to keep that heart pumping strong.”
There are Local Assistance Centers (LAC) set up in several counties that have been impacted by the fires. They are one-stop shops where fire victims can start rebuilding their lives. In many cases people left home with very little, so the DMV is at the LACs to expedite getting new drivers licenses. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and representatives from state and local governments are also there to help with longer term needs. The list of LACs and other information that can help prepare and recover from a disaster is available here.
The October fires have also taken their toll on county leadership and staff. Sonoma County Supervisor Susan Gorin lost her home—as did many county employees and first responders. Supervisors and staff in several other counties also had to evacuate. Despite that, and despite having worked nearly non-stop for almost two weeks, county leaders and staff have been able to sustain an amazing effort to aid in the recovery.
Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore noted in the CSAC Blog this week that, they have had a lot of help. “I look to my left and see Peace Officers from Alameda keeping looters out of the damage area. I look to my right and see Contra Costa Sheriff Deputies flying drones over impact zone, mapping for safety and planning. I look all around me and see Firefighters from Madera, Merced, Mono, Sutter, Amador, Stanislaus, San Bernardino, Santa Clara, Kern, El Dorado, Del Norte, and others.”
CSAC is working closely with the nine counties affected by the October Fires and the Governor’s Administration to make sure the counties have what they need to speed their efforts to recover and rebuild.
Earlier this week CSAC hosted a call between the Administration, supervisors and staff from Mendocino, Napa, Sonoma, Lake, Solano, Butte, Orange, Fresno, Nevada and Yuba counties to discuss a variety of issues related to the devastating fires across California. The call helped to start a dialogue on several issues including environmental clean-up, transitional housing, and property tax backfill proposals that would help keep counties fiscally solvent during this massive crisis. A follow up is tentatively scheduled for next week