Mountain Fire meeting helps survivors prepare to rebuild
CAMARILLO, Calif. – It's been a week since the wind-driven Mountain Fire burned homes and structures as it raced from Camarillo to Santa Paula
Ventura County Fire Division Chief, Barry Parker, broke the ice at a Mountain Fire Community Meeting by saying, "You are in good hands, I am not talking about Allstate."
Survivors appeared grateful and amazed that everyone got out alive.
They packed the Rancho Campana High School Performing Arts Center for a community meeting that offered updates on the fire, and important information about the recovery efforts to come.
Former Santa Barbara residents, Marla Moropolous and Kris Fishback, lost their home in Camarillo.
"The house burned all the way to the ground, took our truck, our classic car, we got out with the clothes on our back and our dogs and that was it," said Moropoulos, "so we are good, we are coping, its been a lot of tears,"
Their loved ones set up a GoFundMe that has raised more than $25,000.
"Even in the Go Fund Me there's names, people we don't know, and it is overwhelming," said Fishback, "We are not people who would go ask for this stuff and now we are in a place where we need it."
They are temporarily staying with friends in Santa Barbara.
Therapy dogs including one named Jack, wearing a green banana, greeted them and another outside the community meeting where state and local agencies set up information booths.
Booths offered information about everything, from debris removal to property tax relief.
The information will be available for at least two weeks at a Mountain Fire Recovery Center set to open on Thursday at the Ventura County Office of Education at 5100 Adolfo Rd. in Camarillo.
Firefighters from all over California are still fighting the fire that is nearing containment.
When rain is in the forecast local crews will be keeping an eye on the hillsides.
First responders want people who able to return to their homes to be aware of the weather conditions that could lead to future evacuations.
"Don't wait for us to tell you to leave, if there is rain in forecast and you watch conditions become precarious I don't want you to wait for us to tell you to leave," said Ventura County Emergency Services Director, Patrick Maynard.
Santa Barbara County Fire Public Information Officer, Scott Safechuck, said having a good attitude is important.
"Everyone has a really good attitude, even the people who have lost everyone, and the hard part is still to come, they have to rebuild and that takes time," said Safechuck, "one of the gentlemen said 'it's a marathon and you have to maintain that good attitude.'"
Many of the first responders in attendance responded to the Camarillo Springs mudslide, the Woolsey Fire and Thomas Fires, and the Montecito Mudslide.
Those disasters and recoveries have helped them fine-tune their response.
For more information visit https://vcemergency.com
