Tensions reach high mark at meeting in Lake Isabella
Residents attending, viewing online voice both praise, criticism
Tensions at times ran high Sunday afternoon as fire officials who held a community meeting in Lake Isabella to detail their extensive efforts to knock down the Borel Fire were showered with thanks and praise — and barraged with a dose of criticism.
Mark LaMont, operations section chief from California Interagency Management Team 11, tried to set the tone, saying he received a text message from his daughter that morning that conveyed “she continues to pray for you as you work through this devastating event.”
The Borel Fire exploded in size after sparking July 24 during a fatal truck accident on Highway 178. As it’s grown to 59,000 acres, some 1,504 personnel “have left their home under a sworn obligation to provide mutual aid,” LaMont said.
LaMont said as his team was activated to the Lightning Complex when it was at 1,000 acres, he looked at the weather and topography of “this beautiful location” and knew firefighters would face some of the worst weather, severe heat, thunderstorms and red flag warnings.
His team was on travel mode on July 26 and integrated with another team.
“That was the night it had the severe and hard push through Havilah,” LaMont said, noting firefighters had to get people out of the Havilah valley.
He detailed several fire operations and the extensive equipment and resources brought in to fight the fire, noting at the height of it 16 helicopters were at work, for example.
“We were told to preserve life, property and the environment,” LaMont said. He also noted “we know you guys have been through a lot.”
He spoke to those assembled at Woodrow Wallace Middle School Gymnasium, and a livestream audience on Facebook, where viewers were quick to put in questions including when residents would be allowed to return to particular areas. Participants offered praise as well as criticism.
As the livestream progressed for an hour and 15 minutes, Curt Williams wrote: “We already know this. Quit telling us we cannot go in and out for gas, propane, medicine etc.”
Vincent Cordova wrote: “I lost my entire ranch.” Later, he added: “My ranch was worth $1.4 million and it’s all gone.”
Resident Frank Alatorre, in Facebook comments, alleged “inadequate management.”
“We are a family of 9 and there isn’t a shelter to house us. We saved our house
when all the fire fighters and agency’s (sic) were stand(ing) out front of the Havilah fire station on Friday when the fire came through,” Alatorre wrote. “In my opinion the fire agency’s (sic) let this happen do (sic) to inadequate management.”
Yet there was also applause for firefighters, law enforcement and Bureau of Land Management speakers and the personnel they represent, and praise left in the Facebook livestream comments, too.
“Great briefing. Thank you for the information,” wrote Sarah K. Teed. “Please continue to keep the information available. We so appreciate the firefighters’ efforts. I hope that our community can continue to help those who have lost their homes and we can keep some form of normalcy for kids to get to school & business(es) to continue to operate.”
Various speakers emphasized the highest priority was preservation of life.
“We don’t mess around when it comes to life,” Kern County Fire Department Chief Deputy Dionisio Mitchell said.
He emphasized that “this is our department, this is our county,” and his own operations chief knew something wasn’t right the night of July 25. That’s when fire approached an area that hadn’t seen significant
fire activity since the early 1990s.
He sought to assure listeners that when the fire tripled in size and came down hard on Piute Meadows and Havilah, “we threw everything we had at that community.”
One resident of Havilah, who did not give her name and could be heard crying on the livestream, asserted during the question-and-answer session that she only saw one helicopter in Havilah, only one hand crew tried to help for about 10 minutes and “you
could have done a lot more for my community.”
Fire officials tried to explain the conditions under which helicopters can be used, conditions under which fire retardant can be effective, and that their greatest mission was preservation of life.
Another resident who did not give a name posited during the meeting that the fire was “let go” after the truck crash that sparked it. But a KCFD official said it was given a full response — from KCFD, the Forest Service and the Bureau of
Land Management.
Mitchell also said firefighters know how difficult it is for residents who want to get to their property and evaluate losses, saying “we are trying to get you back to a state of normalcy as soon as possible,” while also doing so responsibly and safely.
Incident meteorologist Pete Curran said weather had not been in firefighters’ favor: They faced heat, wind, lightning and extreme temperatures, all of which drive fire. Yet those conditions were
monitored via solar-powered, remote weather stations that conveyed data every 10 minutes, along with satellite imagery every five minutes. Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be particularly hot, he said.
Meanwhile, Kern County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Michael Dorkin said deputies are stationed at hard road closures to prevent looting and Search and Rescue personnel have not found any signs of death.
He assured residents that deputies assigned to the fire are dedicated to the fire, and the Lake Isabella substation remains regularly staffed.
Chris Fogle, an incident commander from California Interagency Management Team 11, noted that “it has been a pretty busy start to the fire season this year.” He emphasized that crews working on the Borel Fire were able to secure the resources needed despite wildfires raging throughout the West.
Questions about children returning to school, fire insurance and rates, and how much Federal Emergency Management Agency funds might be forthcoming were only partially answered. Several presenters suggested residents would learn more — and more answers would be known — when a Local Assistance Center opens Saturday.
It is to be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, Saturday through Aug. 13, at the Kern River Valley Senior Center, 6401 Lake Isabella Blvd. in Lake Isabella. Billed as a one-stop-shop for access to state, local and nonprofit resources, it can be accessed by anyone impacted by the Borel Fire, regardless of whether they lost their home or had to evacuate.
The public is also urged to view the Genasys Protect’s interactive map at tinyurl.com/jcdv55f9 to find the most up-to-date information on evacuation orders and warnings.