Loma Fire: Homes, roads at risk from winter mudslides and erosion
Officials at the
Once thick with oak trees, manzanita and knob cone pines, the slopes of
sjm-lomafire-1023-90A team of geologists, hydrologists, biologists and other experts from the state and federal government spent four days last week inspecting the area. Using helicopter flyovers, soil tests, computer mapping, inspections on foot and satellite images, the eight-member group, known as the
"If we have normal winter rainfall, the area will probably be OK. But it's intense storms that we're worried about," said
Orre said the team has identified 35 homes, 11 bridges, seven culverts, seven road areas and eight other structures at particular risk from mudslides this winter. The areas are along
"There are a couple of places we felt were so much at risk that they may need to put up a barrier, like vinyl walls inflated with water, and sandbags, to divert debris flows and mudslides," said Orre.
Other recommendations the group is likely to include are an emergency notification system, like a reverse 911 plan, in case storms this winter are threatening havoc. The group also will recommend a storm patrol during heavy rain events to monitor culverts and streams, and closing trails in some areas.
Researchers on the team concluded that any storm that brings 1 inch of rain per hour over the winter could trigger mudslides that could threaten homes. The heavy rain last weekend, which dumped 10 inches on the
Because that was the first big storm of the season, much of the water soaked into the parched ground. Cascades of muddy, silted water did pour into Uvas and Chesbro reservoirs nearby, but didn't flood them with dead trees or other debris that could clog outlet pipes or cause other damage, said
When the post-fire report comes out, the water district may well install rolled straw mats to control erosion in some places, and put boulders, logs or other materials in water courses to slow debris that could wash into the reservoirs, harming drinking water quality.
"It's something we need to do quickly. It's a priority for us," Baker said.
Other agencies also are concerned. Roughly 43 percent of the land that burned during the fire, which began
During a visit recently,
"You can't just reseed it and have it magically come back the way it was," she said. "This will be a long-term recovery."
The agency's
For some, erosion and mudslides are the least of their worries.
"You have to start all over again," he said glumly. "I'm old. I can only work a few hours at a time. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I moved up here because I liked the quiet. It was a really nice wooded spot. But now..."
His voice trailed off. He shook his head, and looked at the blackened ground.
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