- Elizabeth Larson
- Posted On
Sen. McGuire, state and local officials give updates on Rocky fire, other issues
LAKEPORT, Calif. – State Sen. Mike McGuire hosted a town hall meeting in Lakeport Thursday night, hosting an estimated 150 community members who came to get updates on a variety of local issues, key among them, the Rocky fire.
The town hall, which ran just over two hours, originally had been planned well ahead of the Rocky fire, and featured numerous local and state officials talking about everything from water to tourism and local budgets.
However, much of the meeting turned toward the nearly 70,000-acre fire, the great crisis now in the county's midst, and gave local leaders the chance to offer their thanks to firefighters as well as state and federal officials.
McGuire said he wanted everyone who attended to walk away with the latest fire information, and he congratulated community members for the way they have rallied together in the midst of the disaster.
“Lake County is strong, and it is a true testament to the people who live here and work here about how folks have come together,” he said.
McGuire also thanked Sheriff Brian Martin, the firefighters who have been on the fire lines for more than a week, as well as emergency officials.
Gov. Jerry Brown had visited the fire earlier in the day, and McGuire noted that he loved hearing Brown say the state was committed to the recovery effort.
McGuire said the state's fourth year of drought has contributed to the fire, the response to which includes hundreds of firefighters coming from across the United States – as far away as New Jersey – plus 14 National Guard hand crews, and an aerial assault that includes resources from the California National Guard, Nevada National Guard, and C130s from Colorado and Wyoming that also are working other fires.
A federal grant the state has received will help cover 75 percent of the Rocky fire's costs.
McGuire welcomed Cal Fire officials to offer updates.
Cal Fire public information officer Scott McLean thanked the community for its incredible generosity.
He noted many people are coming forward with donations, and asked people to donate instead to Red Cross.
Cal Fire Chief Sean Kavanaugh, the deputy incident commander, told the group. “We were in a six-day firefight” in the initial days of the Rocky, to which 3,600 firefighters were assigned on Thursday.
Kavanaugh said there has been incredible cooperation amongst agencies. “That cooperation needs to continue.”
He said 171 National Guard troops were on the lines on Thursday. “We're still not out of this thing yet. We're working hard to get this fire contained.”
Kavanaugh and several other officials who spoke during the event anticipated that Highway 20 and Highway 16 – both of which have been closed due to the fire – were expected to reopen at 10 a.m. on Friday.
Lakeport Mayor Martin Scheel said the city has been supporting the firefighting effort logistically, including offering places for parking fire equipment once the Lake County Fairgrounds – where the incident command post is located – filled up.
Local businesses have been excited about serving the firefighters, as have community members, he said, recounting an anecdote of people at restaurants giving up their orders when food was running out in order to make sure firefighters had meals.
Scheel also thanked Lakeport Police Chief Brad Rasmussen for quickly responding to help Sheriff Martin during the mandatory evacuations called during the fire.
In his update, Martin recounted responding to Lower Lake before 4 p.m. on July 29, the day the fire broke out, to start evacuating people in the path of the fire. “We've been working tirelessly ever since.”
To date, there have been no serious injuries and no fatalities. “For me, that's the mark of success for this fire,” Martin said.
Martin said of the fire, “It's going to take some property but it's not going to take anybody's life as long as we keep this up.”
He said officials want to get people back in their homes as quickly as possible and as soon as it's safe, with the first evacuees to return home doing so on Thursday.
The fire is under active investigation, said Martin, who reported that his investigators are working with Cal Fire to find the cause.
He also urged people to make donations to reputable organizations rather than the many Go Fund Me sites that have popped up in recent days. Instead, he pointed donors to Red Cross, Salvation Army or the accounts set up at Mendo Lake Credit Union.
Martin additionally touched on topics including new hires, partnerships with local fire agencies to provide substation space, new cars and acquiring military surplus.
Jodi Traversaro, Coastal Regional administrator for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, said there is a saying that “all disasters are local,” and she praised the first responders across all the agencies.
She said the response will soon be transitioning into recovery mode. The governor, she said, is entirely committed to serving community. “This is a very big disaster.”
Traversaro and her team have been on the ground since the beginning, and they will work to understand the community's unique needs in order to offer full support.
“This could be an onerous process for all of you, but we're here to shepherd you through process,” she said.
Lake County Office of Emergency Services Manager Marisa Chilafoe said an account to help the recovery has been opened at Mendo Lake Credit Union. Checks can be made out to the Rocky fire and sent to any of the bank's branches.
She said the county of Lake also has formed a partnership with Sonoma County to offer an around-the-clock assistance line for those impacted by the fire, 1-800-325-8604.
Chilafoe said a local assistance center will open will open at 14092 Lakeshore Drive in Clearlake at 8 a.m. Monday, with a virtual local assistance center at www.lakecountyLAC.com .
John Arguello, captain of the California Department of Insurance's Benicia Regional Office, said he spoke to a community member before the event who said events like the fire bring out the best in people. However, he said such disasters also bring out the worst in people.
Arguello warned people to be on their guard against scams, including people masquerading as contractors. “You guys are vulnerable at this time.”
He said California Department of Insurance representatives will be on hand to help community members at the local assistance center.
Lt. Hector Paredes, commander of the California Highway Patrol's Clear Lake Area office, said his agency has been working closely with Sheriff Martin and Cal Fire throughout the Rocky fire.
He said they didn't have to evacuate the city of Clearlake – part of which still remains under evacuation advisory. In the case of an evacuation, his officers were poised to close Highway 53, but ultimately did not.
Paredes also anticipated the reopening of Highway 20 and Highway 16 at 10 a.m. Friday, urging people to drive slowly through the area, as fire crews will still be working along the highway corridors.
Lake County Superintendent of Schools Brock Falkenberg said local schools have really stepped up to support the firefighting effort.
Evacuation centers have been located at Kelseyville High School and Middletown High School, and at Upper Lake Middle School, with Upper Lake High School's facilities also being made available to crews working on other fires in the north of the county.
He said every school in the county had received a warning order and was prepared to open as a shelter if needed. Kelseyville Unified and Konocti Unified were staged for six days in case of the need for evacuations. Lower Lake High and Clear Lake High opened their doors to host community meetings.
Caltrans District 1 Director Charlie Fielder noted, “It's been a rough week,” but said he was glad Highway 20 was set to reopen.
“That's a heck of a detour,” for people who are trying to get through the area, he said, noting it's a main arterial route.
Before wrapping up and opening up a question-and-answer session, McGuire went over drought, climate change, the condition of Clear Lake and the need for more high-speed Internet.
McGuire promised that the state is committed to Lake County, both now in the midst of dealing with the Rocky fire and for the long-term in helping it succeed and address its challenges. He said his job is to help the county to get the resources it needs.
He guaranteed Lake County will recover from the fire.
“I promise you, this is just the beginning,” McGuire said.
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