Slow start to fire rebuilds in Sonoma County, but growing number of projects reflect expanding recovery
"Almost all of these are floor plans that I recognize," said Baker, pastor at
Builders and neighbors said it makes sense that the first rebuilt houses in the burned areas would feature relatively few changes to the designs. In contrast, Baker and his wife, Zoë, now are working with architects and engineers to prepare the building plans for their new Keoke Court house, which will add a second story and grow by about 25 percent to nearly 2,000 square feet.
The Bakers hope to break ground later this summer and are willing to take the extra time and effort in order to get the home they want.
Nearly eight months have transpired since the most destructive wildfires in state history ravaged the
In
Despite the relatively slow start, contractors say a wave of rebuilds is coming. And they contend that when it hits, the county will need all the construction workers it can find to meet the demand.
"I think it will be two to three years of just everything that all of us can handle," said
The October fires claimed 40 lives and burned 6,200 homes in a four-county region. Residential insurance claims have totaled about
By last week, construction had begun on 223 homes in the burned neighborhoods of the county, local planning officials said.
What can be said about the first rebuilders is they had lived mostly in
In
Nonetheless, the neighborhood had 125 homes under construction, or 56 percent of the total for the county last week.
The neighborhood also leads the county in regard to overall rebuilding applications. The city last week reported it had received 276 requests for building permits in
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