Tuesday night my partner received an alert on her phone that Boulder Creek was getting evacuated, the fire was spreading and from that point on is when everything took a turn for the worst. Coming from the Bay Area of San Jose and moving to Felton has all been very new territory and uncommon experiences from what I’m used to. Being evacuated from my home has been an experience I never thought I’d have to encounter. Emotions have been high, feelings of uncertainty, fear, and possible loss of my home have been running through me in waves this past week.

August 2020

  “I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor.  Do you know your next-door neighbor?” 

The view of the ocean from where I am staying is beautiful. I can hear the waves crashing on the shore and a part of me wants to go play in the water. But I can’t get my mind off of the fact that my house might be burning down as I enjoy the view. My kids are the forth generation to live on the property and we might very well be losing everything except what’s in the three cars packed feverishly while the flames appeared on the tree-line in Ben Lomond. It’s the waiting to hear bad or good news that is so difficult.

For many years, our primary concern in the heavily forested San Lorenzo Valley and North Coast areas has been the threat of catastrophic wildfire. By bolstering our firefighting agencies, educating our residents, and establishing fire breaks, we have made huge strides in prevention and preparation in recent years –– all of which made an enormous difference on August 16 when the CZU Lightning Complex roared into existence.

Dear Friends & Families,

First, I am so sorry. There is nothing quite like losing the foundation from underneath you. Please know that you are not alone… though there will be days that go by where you feel as though you are. Please know that there is a community here for you when you are ready. Give yourself time to grieve however you need to and know that it is okay to receive help and assistance (every one of us will need to ask for help at one point in our lives). Try and find a few trusted friends/family members that can be your pillars of support so that they can assist in carrying some of the weight on your shoulders.

This evening Cal Fire lifted its emergency evacuation order for the UC Santa Cruz residential campus.      I have amended the Aug. 20 emergency declaration so that employees who live at Laureate Court, Hagar Court, Ranch View Terrace, Hagar Meadow, and Cardiff Terrace can return to their homes tonight. The rest of the residential campus remains closed, as do the Coastal Science Campus and Westside Research Park. We know everyone is eager to return to campus, whether it’s for student housing, to conduct research, or to provide on-site services. We are eager too, but must first ensure all pieces are in place for our community to begin returning to these sites. Closing the residential campus last week required us to shut down several critical systems, including our cogeneration plant, our natural gas systems, and other basic infrastructure. They must be returned safely online before the campus is fully repopulated.Additionally, parts of upper campus, including Family Student Housing, remain without power, and Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is not sure when power will be restored. We will continue to provide updates in the days and weeks ahead.                                                         Except for the people living in the employee housing communities outlined above, no one should attempt to access the residential campus, Coastal Science Campus, or Westside Research Park until directed that it is OK to do so.We are optimistic that we will very soon be able to re-open our Coastal Science Campus and Westside Research Park. With the Cal Fire order lifted, we are working hard to ensure our residential communities are ready to welcome back the students that were forced to evacuate. Reopening the residential campus will be deliberate and phased. Everything will be done to support the health and well-being of our community, and in a way that helps to minimize the spread of COVID-19.We are immediately focused on restoring critical campus infrastructure, allowing employees and families to return to campus housing, and resuming services provided by our COVID-19 diagnostic lab and our Student Health Center. With Cal Fire lifting evacuation orders for several areas, people should anticipate traffic congestion and limited visibility due to smoke. I encourage us all to be patient and kind, particularly in these moments of collective stress. Faculty and staff should be ready to show their campus or other ID to enter employee housing communities and should exercise caution when returning to their homes, especially if they do so after dark. I encourage you to visit one of the following sites about who to contact and tips for returning home following a wildfire:Red Cross: Be Prepared for Wildfires during COVID-19Cal Fire Post Wildfire RecoveryFEMA: Returning From EvacuationWhile we are fortunate the wildfire never reached our residential campus, the ash and smoke it created entered our buildings, requiring that we assess and clean some areas of campus before they can be reopened.In the coming days, we expect to allow research labs approved under our COVID-19 restrictions and some student housing to reopen, and that dining services will resume preparing meals at our residential campus. As a reminder you can find consistent updates at ucsc.edu/fire. Our community has shown exceptional strength and compassion in the face of great adversity. We are beginning the long road of recovering from this wildfire. I know we will emerge a more resilient and close-knit campus and community. Stay safe, stay well, and stay connected.