All photos - Frances Rivetti
One of the things we pride ourselves on most here in Sonoma County is our unwavering collective resilience and spirit and extraordinary community-mindedness in the wake of the past four years of devastating wildfire seasons. Adding to the pressure of this unprecedented period in time, extreme challenges of pandemic measures, which came hot on the heels of wildfire trauma have pushed our communities into a constant overdrive.
Unfortunately, it's not something that we're able to pat one another on the back and say: "Well done, we did it, we made it through," for this year's extreme drought conditions are heralding dire warnings from fire ecologists and firefighters in the region who fear there is sufficient available vegetation to burn all over again.
"Fire is a natural occurrence on the landscape and as such, California ecosystems have evolved to survive and, in some cases, thrive when impacted by fire," says Cal Fire Division Chief Ben Nicholls in a recent article on the grim fire outlook in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
PD Reporter Guy Kovner has written of the fires that are seared into the region's memory and their footprints remaining across a burned landscape that stretches from the Mendocino National Forest to Interstate 80 outside Vacaville and from the Russian River near Guerneville to Blue Ridge overlooking Lake Berryessa and the Central Valley.
This is the landscape that could very well burn again this year, including Sonoma County's worst wildfire areas in history that were scorched by the Tubbs Fire and Nuns in 2017, the Kincade Fire in 2019 and last year's Walbridge and Glass Fires.
Collectively, we've experienced so much devastation in the region over the past few years that it is tending to merge into one, long, four-year saga of smoke and ash and power outages, school and business closures and mass evacuations.
Driving through the wooded, hillside backroads of Sonoma County from the Fountaingrove area where winds that hit as much as 60 to 70 mph caused a catastrophic, freeway jumping inferno that wiped out 1,600 homes in the fall of 2017, it's surprising, impressive and worrisome at the same time to see how many folk have returned to their homesites with bold rebuilds that have transformed the architecture with a trend toward the modern and a necessity toward fire resistant.
While many have refused to give up on their properties, ready in an instant to take on the ominous warnings with a great deal more learned knowledge and preparedness, lots more people have moved away from the more remote parts of the county where firefighting efforts may or may not be able to concentrate efforts should the worst happen in 2021.
It's extraordinary and encouraging to watch as vital, new ground-level controlled burn fires are focused on establishing strategic fire breaks in the most fire-prone corridors. Native peoples set their own carefully controlled burns for centuries and we're finally acknowledging and implementing this vital practice to clear out excessive brush and cluttered forest land that will hopefully come back with healthy new plant growth in time.
Last fall, Point Reyes National Seashore in neighboring Coastal Marin was ground zero for hundreds of firefighters from around the world who camped out in tents for weeks on end. This may well be a familiar site during the summer and fall and we must prepare to be good neighbors by doing our part to provide resources and support.
According to the article in the Press Democrat, the U.S. Drought Monitor listed about 60% of the state of California in extreme drought. One year ago, that figure was a mere 3%.
Fire chiefs urge our North Bay communities to prepare for a "long and significant fire season." According to the Press Democrat, given the movement of recent wildfires, the city of Santa Rosa is currently clearing fuel from the Fountaingrove, Mark West and Riebli areas and north side of Rincon Valley as well as preparing for a Cal Fire prevention grant to cover much of the cost to property owners undertaking this work.
In the south county, Petaluma has opened its city gates and resident's doors to thousands of evacuees searching for safe ground over the past four fire seasons and volunteer training is underway for a fast, effective response should mass evacuation centers be a necessity sooner rather than later this summer. If you wish to volunteer for Disaster Recruitment this year, click here to sign up ahead of time with Petaluma People Services.
It's now no longer an if we need to feed several thousand hungry folk for several weeks, but when. And the generosity of individuals, groups and businesses as well as the many outstanding non-profits in the area continues to humble each and every one who step up to donate goods or services or help in any way needed.
In my West Petaluma neighborhood we have a Neighborhood Communications List, a Google doc that we've all signed into and updated with information that can be accessed and changed as needed by anyone in the group. We know who lives in which house, which family members are generally home, special needs and pets.
It is very likely our local emergency services and other resources normally available will be overwhelmed during the height of this next wildfire season and we've utilized our neighborhood outreach during winter storm season and for COVID lockdown also.
I'm thankful for our lead neighbor, Tim Thompson, a retired Marin County Fire Chief with 34 years of firefighting experience who rallied us to outreach and we've had informative (pre-pandemic) meetings in person with most of our neighbors in attendance.
Tim recommends if you haven't done it already, you should sign up for emergency alerts from Nixle and SoCoAlert. Another useful tool he recommends is the Alertwildfire.org site. By getting on this site you'll be able to access a network of mountain top cameras that cover the entire county and other areas of the state. If you are interested in checking on the progress or location of a reported fire you can access the site. Fire dispatch centers are currently using the same site which is now available to the public. Click here for FireSafeSonoma
In order to be better prepared for evacuations this year, here are some basic suggestions from regional fire experts at firesafemarin:
COMMUNICATIONS
Keep your cell phones fully charged.
Notify an out-of-area contact of your phone number, location and status & update regularly.
Leave a note with your contact info and out-of-area contact taped to a fridge or inside a front window.
Check on or call neighbors to alert them to prepare at first sign of a fire.
Dress all family members in long sleeves and long pants, heavy cotton or wool is best, no matter how hot it is.
Wear full coverage goggles, leather gloves, head protection.
Cover faces with a dry cotton or wool bandana or scarf over an N95 respirator. Tie long hair back.
Carry a headlamp and flashlight (even during the day).
Carry car keys. wallet, ID, cell phone.
Drink plenty of water, stay hydrated.
Put Go Kits in your vehicle.
PETS & ANIMALS
Locate your pets and place in carriers at first indication of evacuation.
Be sure pets are wearing tags or are microchipped.
Place carriers (with pets in them) near front door with fresh water and extra food.
Prepare horses and large animals for transport and consider moving them before evacuation orders.
IF TIME ALLOWS
Shut all windows and doors and leave them unlocked.
Remove combustible window shades and curtains, close metal shutters.
Move furniture to the center of the room, away from windows.
Leave indoor and outdoor lights on.
Shut off HVAC and ceiling fans.
OUTSIDE & IN NEIGHBORHOOD
Place combustible outdoor items (patio furniture, toys, doormats, trash cans etc) in garage or 30 feet from structures (optional, place in a pool).
Shut off gas at meter or propane tanks, move small propane tanks at least 15 feet from combustibles.
Connect garden hoses with squeeze grip nozzles to outdoor spigots for use by firefighters.
Fill water buckets and place around outside of house, especially near decks and fences.
Clean gutters and blow leaves away from house.
Back car into driveway, loaded with doors and windows closed.
Prop open fence and side gates.
Place ladders at the corners of structures for firefighters.
Seal attic and ground vents with precut plywood or metal covers (even duct tape will protect from ember entry) if time allows.
Patrol your property and monitor conditions. Leave if spot fires ignite or conditions change.
WHEN YOU LEAVE
Leave immediately if ordered.
Don't wait for an evacuation order if you feel unsafe or conditions change. Leave early if unsure.
Assist elderly or disabled neighbors.
Carpool with neighbors to reduce traffic.
Take only essential vehicles with adequate fuel.
In your car, turn on headlights, close windows, turn on inside air and AC, tune in to local radio.
Drive slowly and defensively. Be observant.
The best evacuation route is the one you know best. Take the fastest paved route to a valley floor, away from the fire if possible.
Proceed downhill, away from the fire if possible. Know at least two routes.
If roads are impassable or you are trapped: take shelter in a building, or an open park area, park in an outside turn if trapped on a hillside; stay far from vegetation; look for wide roads, parking lots, playing fields etc.
If trapped, you are better protected inside a building or vehicle.
Don't abandon your car in the road if passage is impossible. If you must leave your car, park it off the road and consider other options for shelter.
Evacuate on foot only as a last resort.
Don't evacuate by fire road, uphill or into open-space areas with unburned vegetation.
Remain calm, panic is deadly.
Comments