Picking up the pieces
Effects of Mountain fire still felt by the community
Much of embers have settled from the Mountain fire, but many people will never forget the day it swept through their communities that fateful Nov. 6, leaving nothing but rubble behind.
The fire burned an estimated 19,904 acres and was 98% contained as of Nov. 17. All evacuation warnings were lifted the same day as well.
Now, it’s about rebuilding what was lost.
“Frankly, we’ve been through this before with the Thomas and Woolsey fires,” said Ventura County Supervisor Jeff Gorell at a Nov. 13 community meeting at Rancho Campana High School. “Simply put, the Thomas fire timeline for rebuilding was unacceptable. We’re going to do better.”
The Office of Ventura County Supervisor for District 2, where most of the damage occurred, launched a local assistance center on Nov. 14 in Camarillo.
The center is providing resources including information on housing, financial assistance and guidance on cleanup and rebuilding for victims of the fire. It’s open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday at the Ventura County Office of Education.
Some lost everything to the fire. Their homes, as well as their livelihoods, including acres of farmland. The Mountain fire destroyed 182 structures and 56 outbuildings, and 63 additional structures were damaged.
Fire crews were continuing to do tactical patrol, clean up and community outreach into the third week following the fire.
County Environmental Health Director Charles Genkel spoke about debris removal, urging all residents to be careful with debris.
“It’s toxic. It can contain various forms of hazardous waste, arsenic, heavy metals, asbestos. We want to make sure this material is removed methodically,” Genkel said.
Clean up will be done in phases over the coming weeks. The first phase, removing household hazardous waste from aerosol cans to batteries, is underway.
The second phase, debris removal, will require more time working with private contractors or with the county, Genkel said. For now, property owners should be gathering information specifically to the debris removal portion of their insurance policy.
Also present at the meeting was California Sen. Monique Limón. She said whether it be dealing with the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Department of Insurance or the Franchise Tax Board, the state is working to help those affected during the next stages.
“Regrettably, we represented the community during the Thomas fire. What I can tell you is that one of the best things we can do is work collaboratively with the city, county and with every single agency,” Limón said. “The fear, pain and loss is real.”
Camarillo Mayor Tony Trembley thanked first responders and volunteers for their work.
“It is a miracle that we had no fatalities in this incident,” he said. “That is a direct testament to our first responders.” The mayor reminded the community to support those affected by the fire.
“Our community is defined by people, not by jurisdictional boundaries,” Trembley said. “We all call Camarillo home. We’ll get through this together.”
People were not the only ones displaced by the fire. More than 400 animals were brought to the Ventura County Animal Services center for safekeeping, and many have since been reunited with their critters. For those still in need of pet food and bedding, come to the Camarillo Shelter and ask, officials said.
Further, the agency is reminding people to be aware of phone scams targeting lost pet owners on social media sites including Nextdoor.
Community members should also be on the look out for price gouging for essential foods, medicine, household necessities and housing, according to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office.
“Exploiting those affected by the devastating Mountain fire for financial gain is illegal and will not be tolerated,” said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “I encourage anyone who suspects price gouging to report it to our office immediately so we can undertake a review and investigation.” A wildfire relief and recovery fund has been created by the Ventura County Community Foundation in partnership with the county. To donate, go to vccf.org.