Lake County >> “You see the essence of community in the worst of times,” said firefighter Bill Murphy.
While the Rocky Fire slowly but surely edges toward containment thanks to the hard work of thousands of firefighters, and the same group of men and women turn their attention to the Jerusalem Fire, the Lake County community is doing all they can for crews from across the nation who have made the county home for the past week and a half. Donations are sent to the command center at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport. While in line at restaurants citizens pay for firefighter’s meals, some going as far as to give up their orders when food is running low. Signs of gratitude paper the streets.
The community support has been “phenomenal,” Murphy said. “You have more people stepping up to help than you can actually use.”
The amount of food and supply donations, the posters and handshakes, the Moose Lodge in Clearlake Oaks opening their property to evacuees, these shows of assistance are not unique to Lake County and the Rocky Fire, but that doesn’t make them any less impressive. “It’s always amazing,” Murphy said. “Whenever you see this kind of adversity … You get people stepping up willing to help out their friends and their neighbors.”
Some families have taken this support a step further and have opened their homes to fire crews. David Graham was in Hawaii with his family when the fire broke out and saw the news on Facebook. Within 24 hours, his cousin, who works with a strike team in the Atascadero area, was called into the county. Their first night in the county, the strike team settled in at the Konocti Vista Casino hotel in Lakeport. The next night, Graham told them to head to his home, which has four bedrooms and bathrooms and was vacant at the time. In total, 20 firefighters and five engines pulled up to Graham’s residence.
The firefighters had access to all the basic home amenities, including a dining room, TV room, kitchen and washer and dryer, which they likely wouldn’t have in a hotel. They didn’t hesitate to show their appreciation. “They loved it. They wanted to clean the house and I told them, ‘don’t do anything,’” Graham said. “They did vacuum and stuff and I couldn’t believe they did that.”
While the firefighters left to meet up with other crews in Ukiah, Graham said they’re welcome to stay once again when they make their way back to the county, even though he and his family recently returned home from their vacation.
Avrill Pier, on the other hand, doesn’t have relatives fighting Rocky, but she and her family opened a large home they’re currently in the midst of renovating to any firefighters looking for a place to stay. Though the home still has a lot of work to be done, it has working amenities and an atmosphere that doesn’t feel quite like a hotel room. “Instead of coming back to the hotel it kind of felt like they were going home after work,” Pier mused.
Hosting firefighters wasn’t just about giving them a friendly atmosphere, it was also a way to provide rooms for personnel who otherwise may have had to drive to Ukiah. The Konocti Vista Casino hotel is completely full. Skylark Shores Resort in Lakeport was solidly booked by the Friday after the fire broke out, almost entirely by fire and PG&E crews.
For those who do manage to snag a room at Skylark Shores Resort, they receive steep discounts, up to half off the regular price of a room. At the time of the interview, the Rocky Fire was only at 12 percent containment and the hotel was ready to take in crews for as long as needed. “We’re just planning on it going on for at least a few more days,” said Stephen Pedersen, a customer service representative at the hotel. “We hope of course that they do get the fire under control and out, but we will be here to provide accommodations as needed.”
Firefighters have extensive experience with dwindling accommodations, however, and they don’t mind leaving the county for a night of sleep. “When you have several thousand people … you’ve just got to juggle,” Murphy said.
After all, it’s part of the job description. Firefighters willingly sacrifice week’s worth of sleep in their own beds as they travel up and down the state to battle blazes. “This is the job we’ve chosen,” said Murphy. “I think universally firefighters love their jobs.”
Pier, who works at the Clear Lake Cottages and Marina in Clearlake, had to turned away firerighters when the hotel completely booked up, and though crews are used to the experience, Pier still wanted to help out. When fire personnel showed up at the hotel, Pier told them there were no rooms available but they could stay at her family’s property. “I called my mom and told her to get the house ready,” she said. “It was really nice to have them in there for a while.”
Between five and 12 firefighters ended up at the home. The Piers cleaned the towels and sheets each day and stocked the kitchen with groceries, many of which were donated by the community.
The Piers weren’t only putting up firefighters, though. Last week they also took in an evacuated family. “Anyone we can help out would be really great,” Pier said.
Pier and Graham are just two examples of countless Lake County citizens doing what they can to support the fire crews and one another. It’s something Murphy has seen time and time again. “When people know their neighbor’s houses are burning now, they do everything they can to help each other out,” he said.
Jennifer Gruenke can be reached at 900-2019.
