Fire Updates

A room filled to capacity with friends and neighbors has gathered at the Redwood Valley Grange for an evening of First Person Plural monologues, written and performed by Redwood Valley residents who lost homes in the 2017 Redwood Complex Fire. The crowd sits on the edge of their seats captivated by the breathtaking moments each of the seven survivors describes: the days before the fire, the initial red glow to the east, the frightening escapes, and the collective arms of the community that catch them. Interspersed with music, mostly original pieces written for the event, the evening builds to an emotional release as the cast sings: "Sometimes in our lives we all have pain, we all have sorrow, but if we are wise we know that there's always tomorrow." The project's initiator and director Ellen Weed appears overwhelmed as the entire room joins in with what feels like a release: "Lean on me when you're not strong and I'll be your friend, I'll help you carry on."

Over the past six months, we at the Community Foundation have been immersed in disaster recovery work stemming from the wildfires late last year. As Mendocino County navigates this challenging reality, I have been learning about the phases of disaster response: relief, recovery, rebuilding, and resiliency. Even as we are knee-deep in the recovery phase inland, when looking ahead it is clear that we must all think about preparedness to grow our resiliency as a county. A recent grant awarded by the Community Foundation to a group of volunteers in Comptche provides a great example of what this can look like.

December brings with it a chance to reflect on the year gone by, to take stock and decide what to bring with us into the year ahead and what to leave behind.

As people age, they often require more medical care. Such was the case with Virginia Hammond, who began recognizing the firefighters who responded to her calls for emergency medical assistance. Eventually, she knew them so well she called them by name. They provided her with care and comfort when she was hurting or after a fall because it was their job and the right thing to do—it’s what they do for all patients—but, truth be known, they also did it because they had developed a soft spot for this feisty woman with a penchant for helping others.

I first became aware of the possibility of a natural disaster as something to be concerned about when I moved to Washington State as a child. Living near Mount St. Helens, I soon learned that it was a volcano and that volcanoes erupt. As an adult, there seem to be disasters reported all the time – and statistically that is true. In 2014 there were 324 natural disasters registered according to the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters. These disasters caused $99.2 billion in economic damages. Although these numbers seem staggeringly high, they are actually below the annual averages for the last 10 years. While philanthropic giving plays a key role in helping to recover from this enormous financial impact, philanthropic efforts also make a difference before the disaster strikes and during the event.

It's fire season, which makes us give thanks for the amazing people who put their lives on the line to keep our forests and communities safe. It also reminds us about the importance of a coordinated community effort in responding to disaster. This is reflected in the "incident command" structure used by first responders to establish clear lines of authority and communication between police, fire, medical personnel and other responders who are called in to help with the disaster.