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The CZU Lightning Fire’s Impact
From Cal Fire on Sunday 9/6, 9am
“While firefighters continue to make progress on the series of lightning wildfires and complexes, several new major wildfires ignited Saturday forcing evacuations. As of this morning (Sunday), there are over 14,800 firefighters battling 23 major fires and lightning complexes in California. Yesterday, three new major wildfires broke out in Fresno, San Bernardino, and San Diego Counties. Since the lightning siege that started on Saturday, August 15, 2020, there have been nearly 14,000 lightning strikes. During this time-period, there have been more than 900 new wildfires, which have now burned over 1.6 million acres. There have 8 fatalities and nearly 3,300 structures destroyed.”
The CZU Lightning Complex Fire is right here in San Mateo County as well as neighboring Santa Cruz County. It started 8/16, three full weeks ago, and is 68% contained as of 9/6.
Cal Fire’s Incidents Overview
CZU Lightning Complex (Inc. Warnella Fire) Incident Overview
Big numbers, but think of what it means individually to many of our neighbors. Check out the interactive map to see the impact by neighborhood. (opens in new tab) The red houses are completely destroyed - over 1,000 of them. Even those with houses that remain, I imagine, have smoke and other cleanup needs.
Here are a couple of stories about people from those houses:
Chef Eric, as he’s known in the Boulder Creek area lost his home and is trying to buy an RV, so he can stay and help the community. Eric is the chef (and perhaps leader) for Operation Feed the People. Feed the People makes sure no one in the Boulder Creek community goes hungry and that everyone has essential living supplies.
Lisa Durham, an amazing Neighbors Helping Neighbors volunteer, was ready to retire. She had been remodeing her Bonny Doon House and preparing to move, when the CZU fire started. Her "dream" house burned down to the ground. They hadn’t yet rented out their San Carlos home so have a place to live while theey regroup, rebuild, and re-envision their early retirement.
Lisa has been a regular volunteer at One Life, picking up from Shaw Bakery or Second Harvest. She was a Gratifying Greetings leader, motivating people to create cards and collecting them. She's generouss too. She donated directly to one of the families in need we support. I’m sure Lisa has helped many times that I’m not recalling at the moment. If you see her at One Life or another event, please give her good wishes. If anyone wants to help her in some other way, email me.
Lisa told me “as soon as I can get motivated, I hope to do some volunteering, I think it will help to get me out of my head.” Good advice for all! Sending a big virtual hug to Lisa, her husband, and if I recall correctly, her dog who helped with the pickups!
Chef Eric Feeds the Hungry in Boulder Creek
Think One Life Friday Distributions in a More Woodsy Locale! View pics in their Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/ericjferelli
How Can I Help Those Impacted by the Fire?
Ask Others to Donate!
Spread the word! Publicize the Needs via social media, email lists, your social or church groups etc. Don’t Forget to tell your neighbors! It’s in our name, after all. I’ve uploaded a doc with the details.
Become a Drop Spot. Pickup locally and deliver to a hub.
2. Collect Donations Locally: Offer your home / business as a drop-off hub and/or offer to pick up donations from your area to a nearby hub. Looking for spots along the Peninsula. Email Sandy to BeCOME A COLLECTION POINT. Sign up as a Local Area Delivery Person.
From Local Hubs, we need drivers to pickup & take the treasures to distribution sites.
3. Volunteer to pick up at a hub and deliver to final donation sites. For this Impact Project, we need drivers from the Peninsula to Watsonville, Santa Cruz, and eventually Pescadero. SIGN UP IN THE BOTTOM SECTION
Most deliveries to Watsonville / Santa Cruz expected from 9/8 to 9/12 with Pescadero deliveries probably starting 9/12 for following few weeks
Pick up the Items a Family Needs When They Can’t!
4. Be a personal shopper. Like shopping but not spending money? This is for you! Go to a distribution site (e.g. Los Altos, Sunnyvale, Watsonville) and shop for specific items requested by an impacted family who can’t get to the distribution points. Bring the donation with the recipients info to a hub for final delivery or take it directly to the family.
Add your name to comments on this Facebook post or contact Prince of Peace (Saratoga) to start your “shopping career”.
If you know of evacuees / fire victims who can’t get to distribution centers, they can request personal shoppers on the same post.