"Even when the fire is gone, the scar is a daily reminder of what happened.Firefighters are lit by a backfire set to prevent the Caldor Fire from spreading near South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Wednesday, Sept. "Seeing the devastation on (Highway) 89, that's our new normal, he said. The fire scorched popular recreation areas and caused severe damage across Plumas National Forrest that will take decades or longer to repair.
The 43-year-old returned Thursday night and said he felt lucky his business and home were intact and appreciative of firefighting efforts to save it.īut he said a return to normalcy is far off. "One change of the wind could've changed everything." "You don't want to believe it because when you see Greenville go up a couple nights before, you think you're next," he said. Still, he said, he knew how rapidly conditions can change. Like Altenburg, Michaelian said he kept tabs on the fire and was cautiously optimistic when he saw it change directions away from Chester. “We feel very blessed.”ĭan Michaelian, a financial planner whose office is down the street from the market, stayed in Reno for a few days after the evacuation order was issued before heading to his relatives’. “I can’t even describe some of the feelings I’ve felt in the last few weeks,” she said, wiping tears from her cheek. The realization of how close the fire was to home set in as she drove through those areas on her way back to Peninsula, an experience she described as “haunting.” She watched as the fire hit Greenville and Canyon Dam and then waited to see if it would reach her community. The couple, who have lived in the area for four years, left when the evacuation warning was issued and stayed with their son in Reno. A group of firefighters provided information to residents outside the grocery store, while inside people picked up milk and eggs and said hello to neighbors.Īssistant store manager Joy Newell said staff was excited to see familiar faces despite some of shelves still being empty.Īltenburg, the Peninsula resident, and her husband Mike Altenburg were restocking the fridge after having to throw out most of their food. The Holiday Market, which remained partially open during the evacuation to provide service to firefighters, served as a de facto welcome center for residents returning home. On Friday he headed out to the Holiday Market to buy food for himself and his neighbor. “I’m glad to have a home to come back to but you feel rather guilty going through the devastation,” said Cathy Altenburg, who returned to her home in Peninsula on Thursday after more than three weeks. Residents said they were grateful Chester and the communities surrounding Lake Almanor were spared but expressed sadness and frustration at the devastation witnessed in nearby Canyon Dam and Greenville. The return home was bittersweet for many. On Thursday, some began the journey home to assess potential damage, returning to slurry-covered homes and spoiled food in the fridge caused by power outages.
The mandatory evacuation was lifted on Wednesday but road closures on Highway 36 made it difficult to return. 3 as the Dixie Fire broke containment lines southeast of there. Residents in Chester, Lake Almanor Peninsula and other communities around the lake were ordered to evacuate on Aug. Silva and Rocosa camped in his truck for three days and then stayed with family for the last two weeks. I left with a pair of shorts, a cutoff T-shirt and flip flops.” “They said grab what you can and go but you don’t really have time to look around,” he said. He went back to his unit in the same complex to grab his Australian Blue Heeler, Rocosa, and headed toward nearby Susanville, leaving behind his clothes, collection of moccasins and rosaries that friends have given him over the years and other possessions. Ronnie Silva, a temporary caretaker at the Wildwood Village senior apartments in Chester, was helping residents prepare to evacuate when officers informed them they had to leave immediately. View Gallery: PHOTOS: Dixie Fire raging in Northern CaliforniaĬHESTER, Calif.
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