EX-FIREFIGHTER RECOUNTS EVACUATION AS LOT CLEARED
Berry Creek couple first to have lot cleared in state debris removal process
BERRY CREEK » Thomas Parker found himself the first homeowner in line to get the remains of his lot in Berry Creek cleared by the state, on Dec. 4.
Parker and his wife, both retired, lost their home and lot off Bald Rock Road near Berry Creek in the fire the night of Sept. 8. Parker said he knew a fire of this kind was coming, having watched friends in Paradise lose their homes in the
Camp Fire, and he was well acquainted with the process for what to do if the worst happened.
So when fire overtook his home, as a retired firefighter he did his best to save it, but knew when to quit.
Parker bought the property about 17 years ago while living in Elk Grove, “just for fun, to camp and play.” He and his wife began living on the property in a manufactured home over 10 years ago.
They slowly built an expansive property with a gazebo,
pool, greenhouse and detached workshop. Parker even built himself a traditional Irish pub home bar inside the detached shop.
Yet they always kept their eyes open for when fire was going to eventually arrive, Parker said.
“As a firefighter I knew what I was getting into,” he said. “I just didn’t know it was going to come in that quick.”
Parker added that the night when the evacuation order came in, he told his neighbors “When it comes through, it’s going to sound like a freight train.”
The drive down Bald Rock Road to Oro Quincy Highway is steep and twisted, but Parker said he and his wife drove it through flames after fighting the flames at their home until midnight.
“When we finally left, it was because we ran out water and ran out of fuel for the pump,” he said. “We drove out through flames.”
He and his wife immediately signed up for Federal Emergency Management Agency aid and kept an eye on the county’s Phase 1 Toxic Debris Removal process.
Then they found out they were first on the list to enter Phase II, for debris removal on private lots.
“I was actually shocked to see how quickly they moved,” he said.
It took only three days to completely clear the lot.
“They did a phenomenal job,” Parker said. “They were very sympathetic and compliant to our wishes and needs and what we wanted to have done.”
Getting state assistance
Homeowners like Parker still have time to file an application for Right of Entry forms to get free state lot clearing by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services if they haven’t
yet, until Tuesday, Dec. 15.
Butte County Public Information Officer Miranda Bowersox said the county has filed for an extension to that date and is waiting for a response from the state. If the deadline does get extended before Tuesday, the state and county will release more information.
If people miss the deadline for an ROE form, they will have to file for the private program and do the debris removal themselves.
North Complex Debris Removal Incident Commander Anna Loughman
said nine properties in the area have started debris removal and four are completely cleared already.
Loughman said over 500 ROE forms are being processed by Cal OES. So far 13 properties are going into the alternate program with homeowners clearing debris themselves.
While the debris clearing by the state is free, she said for homeowners who have insurance with debris removal funds, “We will take no more than that” if it has not been spent already on removal.
There is a three-year timeline on an ROE form but once a lot is certified clean, it expires, Loughman added. It also does not prevent a person from selling their property. And to sign up for an ROE, a homeowner does not also have to be registered for FEMA aid as their registrations are separate.
Rebuilding
Both formerly of the Army and National Guard, Parker said he and his wife have no intention of leaving Berry Creek. He said he
prefers fighting fires, rather than moving to states with other natural disasters like tornadoes or hurricanes.
They plan to have a new manufactured home finished on the property within seven months. Parker said they have picked out the cabinets and plan to have another Irish pub on the second floor.
“We don’t mess around,” he said.
“We go forward at a breakneck pace. We know what we want and we know what it’s going to take to get it. Forever forward, always.”
Sadly, he said two of his neighbors lost both their homes — which he had helped build just months before the fire — and do not plan to rebuild. The tragedy was too much for them, he said.
And while other neighbors moved to the area to
escape people and government interference, Parker hopes more people will hear his story and sign up for help from the state. They can begin living on their property and rebuild once the lot is cleared, Loughman confirmed.
Parker said he hopes people understand why they will have to follow state policies for removal and rebuilding to protect themselves and the environment.
“Instead of moaning about it, let them take it, start over, trust your insurance — hopefully you’ve had good insurance,” he said. “And then rebuild.”
For more information anyone can visit the recovery department on the website for the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.