EDITORIAL: Rebuilding with someone who’s done it before
The only thing comparable, he said, was the
But there was one major difference. That fire consumed 400 homes. This one consumed roughly 17 times that many -- an estimated 6,800. "The magnitude of this one is just huge," Witt said during a meeting with The Press Democrat Editorial Board Wednesday.
The magnitude of the recovery also will be huge, which underscores the importance of having someone like Witt at the helm to help Sonoma Country navigate the rough seas ahead.
Witt, who oversaw
Witt says he will work with state and federal emergency officials, as well as local leaders, to identify the "voids" that exist, voids such as gaps in information, leadership and in insurance coverage and other funding. He brings to the job the experience and credentials to get it done. He knows how to work with federal agencies, ranging from the
Witt says he will be developing a strategy to ensure that local communities can take full advantage of what federal assistance is available and to ensure that rebuilding occurs in the safest way possible. While Witt has seen plenty of examples of where recoveries have gone smoothly, he's also seen where they haven't. The biggest differences, he said, are personalities and infighting.
How this is all going to come together is unclear. But what is evident is that if the recovery is going to succeed, and if
"It's not about one individual," Witt said at a meeting of some 250 community leaders at
We know who the heroes of these fires are, and they have already started to head home. What we need now is everyone else -- working to help rebuild this place we call home. At least we will have the help of someone who has been there before.
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