Dear Colleagues,
I know we're all concerned about the devastating fires burning around California. I reached out to all of the ANR locations that I knew or thought may be affected by the active fires in California. The greatest impact is in Sonoma and Napa counties and at Sierra Foothill REC. We have heard that all employees are safe – a couple of people remain evacuated and are not yet able to return home to assess any damage. Below is a summary of what we know about some of the ANR locations.
ANR location status – as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 10:
Sonoma UCCE – Office was closed Monday, open on Tuesday. All employees are safe and none have suffered loss. Many have friends or family who lost homes in the fires. They are mobilizing to help in support and recovery (food bank, MG phone tree, reach out to 4-H families, helping with evacuated animals at fairgrounds). UCCE in Sonoma has partnered with CropMobster to help get the word out on fire resources. Anyone can post needs or offer help of any kind at https://sfbay.cropmobster.com/bay-area-fire-resources.
Napa UCCE – Office was closed Monday, partially open on Tuesday, expect to be fully open on Wednesday. All employees are safe. One county staff evacuated, waiting to return to home. One advisor assisting family member who lost a home.
Marin UCCE – Office is open with reduced staff – due to evacuations, road closures, etc. All staff are safe.
Mendocino UCCE – Office is open. All staff are safe, none evacuated, some have family members affected by fires in area.
Lake UCCE – Office is open. All staff are okay, none are evacuated.
Butte UCCE – Office was closed on Monday as a precaution, open on Tuesday. No employees directly affected by fires.
Sutter/Yuba UCCE – Office is open. All staff are safe, none subject to evacuation.
Hopland REC – REC is open as normal, not threatened by current fires (approx. 20 miles away).
Sierra Foothill REC – REC is under a mandatory evacuation order and closed since Monday. There is no immediate threat to the center however due to shifts in the weather and active fire, the evacuation orders may be in place at for some time. Currently the center has no power with no expected time of it coming back on line. Operationally the center has a skeleton staff handling bare necessities such as livestock care. All staff still on site are safe and can evacuate if needed at a moment's notice. Some staff have been evacuated from their homes in the area and have not been able to return yet.
Orange UCCE/South Coast REC – REC and CE office are open, the location is not threatened by fire. All staff are safe, but an emeritus advisor and family of some staff members are under evacuation orders.
In many counties, staff know of 4-H or Master Gardener families who have lost homes or suffered damage.
Here are some additional links to resources:
UC fire prevention or recovery resources: http://safety.ucanr.edu/Programs/emergency/EmrgResources/
Nationwide Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) resources from various state Cooperative Extension programs: https://eden.lsu.edu/educate/resources (Search for “wildfire”).
Brian Oatman
Director, Risk & Safety Services
UC Agriculture & Natural Resources
(530) 750-1264