Piute Fire / Flash Flood Phone Bank
To assist residents affected by the recent Piute Fire/Flood, the offices of Kern County Supervisor Jon McQuiston and Supervisor Don Maben have established the "Piute Fire/Flash Flood Phone Bank."
The purpose of this phone bank is to be a centralized collection point for people that are seeking assistance with issues such as roads, water needs, and rehabilitation of property, claim forms and other issues that have arisen from these incidents. This phone bank will be staffed with members from the Kern County Sheriff's Office Citizens Service Unit from the Kern River Valley and will reside within the Lake Isabella area.
The call takers will gather information such as:
NameAddress of affected property
Contact phone numbers
Email address
Issue that needs attention
The collected information will then be directed to the appropriate agency for follow-up.
Days and times of hotline:
Starting 07/18/2008: 9:00AM-3:00PM each day until further noticeThe following phone bank numbers have been established:
760-549-2121760-549-2122
760-549-2123
760-549-2134
The agencies listed below are supporting the mission of assistance:
Kern County Sheriff's Office (www.kernsheriff.com)Kern County Fire Department (www.kerncountyfire.org)
Kern County Office of Emergency Services (www.kerncountyfire.org/emergency)
Kern County Roads Department (www.co.kern.ca.us./roads)
Kern County Environmental Health (www.co.kern.ca.us./eh)
United States Forest Service (www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia)
Bureau of Land Management (www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/bakersfield)
California Department of Fish and Game (www.dfg.ca.gov)
For individuals who lost residences in the Piute Fire:
Point of Contact:USDA Forest Service
Human Capital Management
Claims
Address: 101-B Sun Avenue NE Albuquerque, NM 87109
Phone: (877) 372-7248
Reference: Piute Fire CA-SQF-1356
Link to Claim Form: http://contacts.gsa.gov/webforms.nsf/0/635588D718E338F385256B1B007FBE64/$file/SF95.pdf
What is the Kern County Office of Emergency Services?
The Kern County Office of Emergency Services is the County emergency management coordinator.The Kern County Office of Emergency Services works with these entities to coordinate County-wide emergency management:
• City governments,
• County Government departments, school districts, and special districts
• The State of California
• The private sector
• Volunteer groups
Emergency management is divided into five phases. The phases of emergency management are:
• Prevention – preventing incidents that threaten people, property, and the environment
• Mitigation – reducing or eliminating the effects of potential hazards
• Preparedness – getting ready
• Response – responding to an emergency or potential emergency
• Recovery – restoring the impacted area to its pre-event or an improved condition
For the Piute Fire/Flash Flood, the Kern County Office of Emergency Services is working with the entities listed above to coordinate the County’s response to, and recovery from, the emergency.
In the future, the Kern County Office of Emergency Services will work with the entities listed above to coordinate efforts to prevent, mitigate, and prepare for future emergencies.
Help fully describe to State and Federal emergency management officials the level of damage sustained in Kern County during the recent Piute Fire/Flash Flood.
Although there is NO guarantee that any government assistance will be available to impacted residents, the information you provide may help FEMA make its determination.By 5:00 p.m. on Monday, July 21st, please provide the following information:
Address of impacted property
Level of damage: destroyed, major, or minor
Insurance coverage, if any
Brief description, if applicable
You may provide information by:
Calling the Piute Fire/Flash Flood Phone Bank between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.: 760-549-2121
760-549-2122
760-549-2123
760-549-2134
OR
Click Here to download an information form and follow the directions.
Piute Fire Burned Area Emergency Response Team
A USDA Forest Service Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) Team is assembled this week in the Kern River Valley to assess hazards and effects of the nearly month old Piute Fire burning on the Sequoia National Forest and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) public lands.
The Team’s primary mission is to evaluate potential threats to life and property and recommend treatments to reduce possible future resource damage resulting from the fire. The BAER Team will complete an assessment including a review of the burn severity, fire effects, and rehabilitation needs for cultural, natural, and recreational resources.
The Team is focusing on the potential for detrimental erosion and increased water runoff from the loss of vegetation and ground cover. Members represent various resource areas including hydrology, soil science, archaeology, botany, geology, and engineering with experience working on wild land fires throughout California and the Western United States. The Team is led by Jerry DeGraff, a geologist, with the USDA Forest Service.
Meanwhile, fire crews are continuing fire suppression efforts as well as rehabilitating hand and dozer fire lines, removing debris from roads and trails, and taking down trees hazardous to public safety.
Suppression rehabilitation work has been slow-going and complicated by recent thunderstorms and flash flooding. Last Sunday, 60 firefighters were stranded on Kelso Valley Road around 5:30 p.m. when Kelso Creek flooded from heavy thunderstorm activity. The crews worked for 4 hours to clear debris and mudflow that blocked the roadway. They were able to return back to station after midnight.
Approximately, 100 firefighters remain on the fire incident today, mopping up hot spots, and completing fire suppression rehabilitation work. Two water-dropping helicopters are assisting firefighters by extinguishing interior hot spots. In addition, two dozers, two water tenders, and other fire support personnel are working the fire incident. Some access roads to the fire area are heavily damaged due to recent thunderstorms and will require extensive repairs before being opened to the public.
The “Piute Fire Area Closure” issued by the Sequoia National Forest and BLM on July 1, remains in effect. This area includes all access points west of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), BLM closures include Nichols Peak, Bright Star Wilderness Area, Cortez Canyon, Dry Canyon, Jawbone Canyon and Lynch Canyon, Piute Mountain Road, Saddle Springs Road, Erskine Creek Road, and ALL ROUTES OF TRAVEL west of the PCT, are closed to Off-Highway Vehicles (OHVs). Other road closures include McCray Road from the end of the pavement south and Fawn Drive from the end of the pavement south. There is also an area closure in effect for the Piute Mountains from Piute Mountain Road at Caliente Creek Road, Jawbone Canyon Road south of Piute Mountain Road, roads 29S02 and 29S03 and Erskine Creek road at the end of the pavement.
The public can expect to see visible smoke from the Piute Fire for several more weeks. Currently, the Piute Fire is 97% contained with full containment expected Friday, July 25. It remains at 37,000 acres.
