The recreation room of the Boulder Creek Country Club was filled to capacity this last Wednesday with local residents eager to hear lessons learned from the Bear Fire. Local government showed up in full force for the Boulder Creek event. CalFire Division Chief Rich Sampson, Boulder Creek Fire Chief Kevin McClish, and Chief Sheriff’s Deputy Craig Wilson made the presentation. Supervisor Bruce McPherson and County Planner Matt Johnson also joined in. Joe Christy, President of Fire Safety Santa Cruz County, moderated the panel and posed questions that attendees handed in anonymously on large index cards.
Arson started the Bear Fire. The fire covered 390 acres, over 90 percent of it consisting of one-acre parcels. The fire started on a steep canyon of redwood and tan oak, and then moved to dry brush and vegetation. The heavy down fuel from the drought spread the fire rapidly.
Over 75 to a 100 people were evacuated the night of the Bear Fire according to Chief Sheriff’s Deputy McClish. The first few hours after a fire starts are confusing, and a good time for neighbors to help each other. McClish reports, “Those are the hours heroes are made.” McClish asked attendees to get to know their neighbors, because when neighbors know who is likely to be in a house next door, and who will need help to evacuate, this helps firemen. Deputy McClish also reminded everyone that while the first priority is to save lives, this is hard to do when people don’t want to leave the area.
Fire Chief Sampson reported that drought and higher population increases the risk of fires, saying that “Ridge tops used to be fire breaks but they now have houses and vineyards.” Poor burns of ashes or a BBQ or other human causes were the most common sources of fire. When it comes to the use of generators and electrical cords, Chief Sampson reports, “There’s not a lot of clear thinking going on.”
Access to property is very important, especially because many firefighters on large fires are from out of the area and unfamiliar with the mountain roads.
“Bulldozers are making culverts in the dark,” said Chief Sampson. It is important to clearly mark your home address from the road; to keep the brush on private roads and streets clear enough for access by fire trucks; and to clear out plastic, metals, old cars, and toxic substances on your property. Chief Sampson reports, “Hiding things and having gates” hurts fire safety. Private roads should be properly graded and maintained. “Fire trucks are not four wheel drive.”
In response to questions, the panel members reported that the majority of cannabis-related fires were due to indoor cultivation. One person complained of an illegal cannabis farm in her neighborhood that had caused a fire prior to the Bear Creek fire. In response, County Planner Matt Johnson reported that the county receives about 1,000 complaints a year regarding illegal cannabis cultivation and other problems, and that it’s good to be persistent and make follow-up complaints when reporting to the licensing office.
Fire response time in the county can range anywhere from 10 minutes for those close to town, to 30 minutes for more remote areas. Drones must be kept away from fire zones because they place fire aircraft at risk. Everyone was urged to make an evacuation plan, and take into account that cell coverage is often lost during fires. It is possible to sign up to receive emergency alerts to your cell phone through SCR911.org.
