Valley Fire
The Valley Fire was a devastating wildfire that occurred in California from September 12 to October 7, 2015. It began in the small community of Cobb and quickly escalated, ultimately affecting over 76,000 acres in Lake, Napa, and Sonoma Counties. The fire resulted from a structural fire believed to have originated in an abandoned shed and was exacerbated by dry conditions and high winds, leading to rapid spread. Tragically, the fire caused the deaths of four individuals and injured four firefighters while destroying nearly 2,000 structures, including homes and businesses.
As the fire raged on, thousands of residents were forced to evacuate, and emergency services struggled to contain the flames. Evacuation centers were established to provide shelter and supplies for those displaced. The Valley Fire is noted as the third most destructive wildfire in California's history based on the number of structures lost. Recovery efforts highlighted challenges faced by residents, including difficulties in rebuilding due to infrastructure issues and regulations. A year later, signs of regrowth began to emerge in the affected landscapes, signaling the resilience of the environment and community.
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Valley Fire
Event Information
- Date: September 12–October 7, 2015
- Place: Lake, Napa, and Sonoma Counties, California
- Result: 4 dead; 4 injured; 1,955 structures destroyed
Overview
The 2015 California wildfire known as the Valley Fire began as a structural fire on September 12, 2015, in the north-central California community of Cobb. The sweeping wildfire that came to engulf more than 76,000 acres across three counties began in the early afternoon in what investigators believe was an abandoned shed in a residential neighborhood. Initial reports to the local fire department gave no indication for a cause of the fire, but with steady winds and low humidity that day, the fire spread rapidly. There had been little significant rainfall in the valley since mid-August, and the valley floor was dry. The fire quickly swept through more than 10,000 acres, and within twenty-four hours, it had engulfed 50,000 acres and had decimated much of Cobb as well as the nearby towns of Middletown, Whispering Pines, and parts of Hidden Valley Lake. Thousands of residents were ordered by California governor Jerry Brown to evacuate immediately. The fire eventually destroyed more than 76,000 acres, killing four residents, injuring four firefighters, and destroying nearly two thousand structures that included single-family homes, apartment complexes, and businesses. According to California fire officials, the Valley Fire of 2015 is ranked as the third worst fire in California history in terms of number of structures damaged or destroyed.
The fire provided dramatic footage to media outlets, but the speed at which it was moving raised widespread alarms throughout the four counties around Cobb. Within hours, firefighters fought against a massive firewall, and despite protective gear, initial responders suffered second- and third-degree burns with four firefighters being airlifted to hospitals for treatment on the first day of the fire. Households along the fire line in Pope County were put on alert because predicting a wildfire’s path is difficult and often determined by changes in wind speed and air temperature. By the end of the first day, four hundred homes had been destroyed, and the fire was burning uncontained across 50,000 acres. Homes along three streets in Cobb had been destroyed, as had numerous homes and businesses in the neighboring town of Middletown. Also destroyed that day was the fifty-three-acre Hoberg’s Resort on Cobb Mountain, which dated back to 1885 and was being restored and renovated when the fire hit.
Mandatory evacuation orders were released on September 13 for numerous towns, roads, and highways, but the fire outstripped any ability to organize an effective evacuation. By that evening it was determined that the fire was burning across 64,705 acres, despite a massive response from emergency personnel. Evacuation centers were hastily established and, due to national media attention and pleas on social media, critical supplies such as blankets, clothes, and human and pet food began to arrive by car and truck. The Red Cross opened shelters to provide meals and medical help, and schools, churches, and the Redwood Empire Fairgrounds in Ukiah were designated as evacuation centers to offer meals and cots to evacuees. Pets and large animals such as horses and cattle were brought to animal shelters, Moose lodges, and the Redwood Fairgrounds. Governor Brown declared the county a disaster area, which immediately directed much-needed federal relief money to the impacted area. The declaration also mobilized the California National Guard to provide help to residents and firefighters and authorized state agencies to send equipment, staff, and facilities to help.
Efforts to contain the fire continued. Because of the dense, black smoke, little could be done to control the fire from the air. To complicate matters, local water systems were affected by power outages. Firefighters used portable generators and truck power systems to combat the blaze. With abating winds, however, the teams of firefighters managed to begin to contain the fire by September 17. Over the next several days, emergency rescue units recovered the charred remains of four people, and coroner reports would later indicate smoke inhalation as the cause of death.
Impact
Several people were arrested for plundering abandoned homes afterward. As a result, the California National Guard offered assistance with the protection of evacuated communities, and fifty national guard military police teams were also sent into the region to help. Several state and county fund-raising campaigns were held to help the victims of the fire.
Valley Fire was the third most destructive wildfire in California’s history, but due to problems with federal funding for infrastructure repairs, hundreds of residents were still without homes six months after the fire was contained. For example, in Anderson Springs where all but nineteen homes were destroyed, residents could not rebuild because building codes do not allow the installation of septic systems. The town could not afford the $7 million cost of a new sewer system, and federal disaster aid went primarily to cleanup and providing temporary housing for county residents. Also, the nearby town of Bonanza Springs required $700,000 in repairs to its water system before homes could be rebuilt there. Despite construction difficulties in some communities, major highways were cleared and reopened and most of the burned structures were razed and the land cleared. Cobb Mountain Elementary School was reopened after closing temporarily, and shuttles were run across the county to ensure displaced students were able to attend. One year after the fire, the forest and surrounding wilderness was showing signs of regrowth.
Bibliography
Alexander, Kurtis. "Valley Fire Victims Struggle with Uncertainty Over Febuilding." San Francisco Chronicle. Hearst Corporation, 5 Mar. 2016. Web. 23 July 2016.
Barnard, Cornell, and Melanie Woodrow. "Fundraiser Held to Raise Money for Valley Fire Evacuees." ABC7 News. ABC, KGO-TV San Francisco, 21 Sept. 2015. Web. 24 July 2016.
Digitale, Robert, Mary Callahan, and Guy Kovner. "Thousands under Order to Flee Valley Fire in Lake County; Four Firefighters Burned." Press Democrat. Press Democrate Media, 12 Sept. 2015. Web. 27 Sept. 2016.
"Incident Information: Valley Fire." CDF Data. State of California, 15 Oct. 2015. Web. 26 July 2016.
Larson, Elizabeth. "Valley Fire: Officials Say 400 Homes Destroyed." Lake Co. News. Lake County News, 14 Sept. 2015. Web. 17 July 2016.