Creek Fire cleanup: How to help a Fresno County school in burn scar and get assistance
The world around Pine Ridge Elementary School is now called “the Black Forest” by many of its students.
That forest was mostly large green pine trees before the Creek Fire. The small, rural school in eastern Fresno County narrowly survived the massive wildfire that burned nearly a third of Sierra National Forest and destroyed hundreds of homes.
A year and three months after the Creek Fire ignited, recovery efforts continue, including at Pine Ridge Elementary. A workday is planned Saturday to clear brush and burned debris away from the elementary school that lost two playgrounds, a bus barn, and several buses and vehicles to the blaze.
The cleanup support is very much appreciated, said Kelly Kucharski, a Sierra Resource Conservation District administrator.
“This is a long-term recovery effort,” Kucharski said. “One year later, everyone forgets.”
Sierra Resource Conservation District is among a group of organizations and businesses that have done over 20 similar “fuels reduction” workdays in the Creek Fire burn scar, Kucharski said.
Those volunteering Saturday at Pine Ridge Elementary will carry cut brush to a wood chipper. Kucharski said volunteers don’t need to bring tools and won’t be operating machinery (although certified chainsaw operators and those with a forestry background can also inquire about doing more, Kucharski added).
People interested in helping are asked to RSVP with Allyson Brooks of Sierra Foothill Conservancy at allyson@sierrafoothill.org, who will send more information. About 40 people are already registered. The event starts at 8 a.m. and usually continues until lunchtime, Kucharski said. Lunch is provided.
The event is also an opportunity for residents recovering from the Creek Fire to get connected with more resources.
Another workday is scheduled Jan. 22 to help homeowners looking to rebuild following the Creek Fire.
Pine Ridge Elementary School near Shaver Lake after wildfire
About half of Pine Ridge Elementary School’s 86 students lost their home in the Creek Fire, said Annie Wood, an administrative assistant at the school. There were more than 100 students enrolled before the Creek Fire.
Pine Ridge Elementary, established in the late 1800s, is perched on a charred hill above the Highway 168 four-lane, near the resort town of Shaver Lake. The school is among few surviving structures in the heavy-hit Pine Ridge area where most homes were destroyed, including one belonging to Wood.
Pine Ridge students returned to classrooms earlier this year. They were learning from home because of COVID-19 when the Creek Fire ignited.
What was lost to fire is slowly being replaced. Wood said a couple new playgrounds are expected to open to students next week after wood chips are added below slides and swing sets. The old playground equipment was melted and scorched by flames that came incredibly close to classrooms.
The single-school school district also got new school buses, and Pine Ridge is expected to start rebuilding its bus barn soon, Wood said.
A silver lining, Wood said: There are beautiful new views of the Minarets mountain range, but the green forest is missed. Wood hopes more trees are replanted in the future. She’s grateful for the resiliency and camaraderie of her “mountain strong” community.
Resources for Creek Fire survivors and info about rebuilding
More than 850 structures, most of them homes, were destroyed in the Creek Fire. The cause of the fire was officially labeled as “undetermined” this summer.
Many Creek Fire survivors registered for the state’s Consolidated Debris Removal Program. The state reported it finished its work in October for all 276 properties registered for the program in Fresno County. The work included removing burned metal, concrete, ash and contaminated soil.
Before homeowners can start rebuilding, cleared properties have to pass a state inspection, verifying completed work meets California standards, including health and safety standards for soil, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said.
Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig said Thursday that the county has issued 21 building permits within the Creek Fire burn scar.
Wood is among those rebuilding with help from fire insurance. She said she was finally able to break ground on construction last week.
Here are a few ways Creek Fire survivors can get connected to more resources:
- Creek Fire Virtual Local Assistance Center: The Fresno County website has a list of resources and was created as a “one-stop-shop” for those seeking recovery information. (co.fresno.ca.us/resources/fresno-county-recovers/individual-assistance)
- Creek Fire Recovery Collaborative: The collaborative also connects people with many organizations and services that can help. United Way Fresno and Madera Counties is a fiscal partner of the collaborative. (creekfirerecovery.com)
Catholic Charities Diocese of Fresno: The organization has a Disaster Relief Program. The treasurer of the Creek Fire Recovery Collaborative, Tanner Michaelson, is also a case manager with Catholic Charities. “We want to help out every single person, whether it’s building you a house from the ground-up, or answering a small question,” Michaelson said during September’s One Year Stronger event in Shaver Lake. The case management program has a new satellite office at Infant Jesus of Prague Church, 32054 Whispering Springs Lane, Tollhouse, that will be open from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. each Tuesday this winter (closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch). Appointments can also be scheduled for different days. (ccdof.org/disasterrelief)
Rebuild Our Sierra: The committee of the Shaver Lake Visitors Bureau has donated thousands to Creek Fire survivors in the most need, awarded a tiny home to a disabled veteran who was homeless after the fire, and started a logs-to-lumber program to mill dead wood. (rebuildoursierra.org)
Central Sierra Resiliency Fund: The initiative of the Central Sierra Historical Society and Museum has several task forces and projects, including one that shares the stories of Creek Fire survivors. (museumofthesierra.org/resiliencyfund)
Mountain Strong via Sierra Unified School District: The mountain school district also has a website with resources and donation information. (sierrausd.org/creek-fire-resources)
This story was originally published December 3, 2021 at 7:58 AM.
