USA TODAY International Edition
Fire energizes small California town
Brisk business, new faces are welcome sight
In the best of times, hours pass slowly, almost aimlessly, in this rural outpost on the fiery western fringe of Yosemite National Park.
These are arguably the worst of times, and yet somehow they’ve brought a spark of life to a town that’s clinging to it.
As one of two key staging points for some 4,800 firefighters battling the historic Rim Fire, this hamlet of 1,800 residents has been energized by the arrival of buff men and women in blue, and their armadas of gleaming, multihued trucks.
What residents remain — others have already heeded advisory evacuation warnings — have rallied to the presence of these modern- day heroes, showering them with thanks, food and the occasional wink.
“The firemen are, well, let’s say not bad at all,” says Morgan Johnson, 18, sitting at a park bench with three friends in Tuolumne City’s main square, where firefighters gather to chat, jog and work out.
Her friend Megan Mantzouranis, 15, giggles: “They’re great entertainment.”
Adds Shantel France, 18: “It’s just nice having people in town.”
The massive Rim Fire has consumed more than 300 square miles of mostly wilderness, making it the sixth- biggest fire ever in California. It is only 30% contained, but cooler, wetter weather this week gave firefighters some help.
State fire spokesman Daniel Berlant says protecting some 4,500 homes in Tuolumne County has been a primary focus.
“We continue to make good progress and really have strengthened our ( containment) lines around several communities in Tuolumne County,’’ he says.
Ask Johnson and her pals for a summary of the town’s pre- fire activity, and you get a round of shrugs.
“It’s so boring,” says Johnson, petting her German shepherd, Eva. “You have to have a car to do anything. There’s a new casino nearby. There’s an arcade and you can bowl. That’s about it.”
Tuolumne City feels like a magnet not only for the flames roaring not far away but also the hard times that have hit many small towns. Homes in disrepair still await a fix. Cars aren’t the newest vintage. And what storefronts that aren’t boarded up feature for- rent signs.
One noticeable exception is the Revive Café, a year- old venture by a family with a number of eateries in the surrounding area. Located a block from where firefighters, law enforcement officials and some media are camped out, Revive has become the de facto watering hole for many.
“I feel like I’m in the middle of San Francisco, having to learn how to make all these fancy coffee orders that I’m never asked to make,” Delgado says with a laugh.
Delgado and her staff have new Rim Fire hours, 6 a. m. to 7 p. m., and there isn’t a moment during that window when there isn’t at least a small gathering of out- of- town visitors, most toting walkie- talkies, sitting in the cafe’s living room.
“This town doesn’t have much going on,” Delgado says. “It’s sleepy, like a Norman Rockwell town, I guess. There’s a tattoo parlor and a bar, and now us. But the fire has made this place go from the middle of nowhere to Disneyland.”
Working mostly 24- hour shifts, hundreds of firefighters hang out in town at any one time.
“I fought the Oakland Hills Fire ( in 1991) and we ate bologna sandwiches,” says Ron Lavezzo, a division chief with Millbrae ( Calif.) Fire Department near San Francisco, and a Strike Force Team Leader here with 19 men from five different departments under his command. “The other day we had some amazing Mexican food. And then there’s the people who live here. They’ll just offer you anything they have.”