Part of the issue always on repopulation is safety. Down wires, trees, no services that all have to be addressed. Talk with SO and you may be able to get escorted visit in and out to collect needed items. Teams and SO do not want to keep you out any longer than needed.
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Every member of the fire service is empathetic to you and all those who are displaced or who may have lost everything to these fires.
With that being said safety of the public is our top concern and priority. Generally re-population occurs after assessments are completed, hazardous waste is tagged and removed, other hazardous such as standing dead trees are removed, basic infrastructure like power lines and other utilities need to be evaluated and often replaced. These actions generally have a large presence of heavy equipment operating up and down the roadways.
Iām sure at this point patience is running thin and thatās completely understandable but hopefully you can find some solace in knowing that there are procedures that are actively being planned and will be implemented as quickly as possible to get the community back in.
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No on the escort in and out. They did that the first few days, but shut that down. North of 50 was repopulated Wed afternoon. On todays OPs map for Branch 1, the hot line at the bottom of Delta is now black, which is really good. The area south of 50 was at the most risk until this line was secured. There have been spot fires each day, which have been attacked and caught. I would expect an announcement very soon, but I did not see the 0700 briefing this morning.
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For clarification, the IR maps do not show cold. The majority of the fire still has either moderate heat in it or pinpoints of heat including the west side. A significant amount of this still needs to be addressed. (If you used my maps I eliminated these for clarity as I wanted to show possible progression areas).
Contained means they do not believe the fire will spread and they are in mop up stage. Not sure of the direction from the command team but for me, mop up was usually 100ā or 300ā feet in dependent upon the density/type of the fuel. Doesnāt mean the 40" DBH tree next to the road wonāt burn through and fall on the unsuspecting passing car.
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Sherriff department was not helpful. They said they didnāt know when or why. You would think that returning approx 5k to their homes would be more of a priorityā¦
As someone who is in leadership position I understand that I am paid to make well thought out tough decisions. Not easy blanket, letās play it super easy and safe, decisions. Thatās why Iām asking if there is a component that I missing in their decision making process
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Thanks everyone. Iām just frustratedā¦
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Contact your coubty board of supervisors rep. They were extremely helpful in getting areas repopulated faster after czu fire.
They kept saying they kept us out due to no power/waterā¦mountain people have tons of experience on how to live with no power/water due to PGE PS shutoff.
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It is a fire driven decision. There are no infrastructure issues. Fire never entered the area. Not sure power was even shut off. It may have been for a short period of time, but not long, and is on now. EDSO just waiting for the OK from the fire.
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Thanks everyone. I understand itās hard to geographicly isolate areas but itās been really hard to know fire never even came close to our neighborhood or roads that lead to it yet it remains closed. Ive been a fireman for a long time, not a Wildlands guru!, But stillI have a pretty good grasp on situation. I will reach out to and pester anyone in authority whom I think can help speed up process.
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Where do you get the link for the critical needs
These reports are posted twice daily for all NOPS incidents. 209s are due at 0600 and 1800 hrs each day. NOPS usually posts the summary within an hour or so of the due time. These are not the full 209 report, just a summary of each report.
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Water services, electrical service, sewer service have all been stated by the Plumas County sheriff (I live just outside of the late, great Greenville) as basic requirements for repopulation, after hazardous waste and safety matters have been taken care of. I assume the process is similar for other counties in California.
I am five days back at home after thirty-nine days under mandatory evacuation. My own situation as a grampa living alone was much less stressful than what you are experiencing. Watching our own Plumas officials in action, I know the vast majority are busting ass to get people back into their homes as soon as is safely possible.
Hang in there. When weāre talking preventing loss of human life there are no āsuper easy and safe, decisionsā. Conditions have been changing so rapidly that merely dealing with whatās highest priority to keep bodies safe is more than our systems as presently configured and funded can keep up with.
I hope when itās all settled (until the next one) that your home lives on, and that you and all of yours are safe and well.
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Just was told we could head home. I live in Pollock Pines south of 50
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I know you know this stuff but it bears repeatingā¦The decision to let people return to their homes is a one time, almost irreversible decision. Once you let people return it will be very hard to evacuate them quickly if the fire begins to run again. A wrong decision by the folks in charge could be deadly. Considering how fast this fire has moved and the potential for spotting way out ahead, I would be reluctant to ārepopā too soon. This is a tough call for the IC. They understand very well how badly you and others want to go home. They just canāt guarantee safety for you.
I wish you well. You will go home eventually.
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Where did you hear it from?
Found this on InciWeb on areas downgraded from Order to Warning:
Thanks. Looks like on Twitter they updated it again at 4:45 to include more of sly park area. Very good news for many of us!!
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A few pictures of the burnt debris I found around my property in Pollock Pines after returning from being evacuated. The closest fire perimeter line to me is 2.85 miles. Many of my neighbors found the same thingā¦burnt leaves, pine needles and small chunks of wood. I understand just how lucky we were that none of it caused a spot fire. Thanks to all who are dedicated to stopping this fire. I know itās not over and lots of opportunity for things to go badly, yet itās helpful to acknowledge how far weāve come.
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