‘Building The Bridge As We Cross It’: How Firefighting Is Adapting To COVID
So far, virus protections among wildfire fighters seem to be working, but the battle is far from over. In other news, evacuations at Bay Area hospitals and nursing homes; COVID adaptations at evacuation centers; and how two Gulf Coast storms could hamper the pandemic response.
Stateline:
Pandemic Precautions Are Protecting Wildfire Fighters — So Far
District Chief Paul Duarte’s team, the first to reach the Pine Gulch fire as it began spreading across western Colorado about three weeks ago, put months of planning to the test as they prepared to battle their first major wildfire under pandemic conditions. First, they were screened for COVID-19 symptoms as the blaze, now the second-largest in state history, ripped through the rough terrain near Grand Junction. Instead of assembling in a “circus tent,” crews checked in online and received briefings over the radio. Each unit camped together in the field, rather than hundreds of responders establishing a shared base camp. Meals were delivered to each “spike camp,” replacing large communal gatherings. (Brown,, 8/24)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Wildfires Force Evacuations At Bay Area Hospitals And Nursing Homes Already Strained By COVID-19
California wildfires are forcing several Bay Area hospitals and nursing homes to evacuate patients, transfer residents and brace for an influx of new patients with smoke-related respiratory problems. This latest crisis is putting additional strain on a regional health care system already stretched thin due to the coronavirus pandemic.Adventist Health St. Helena hospital evacuated 51 patients Wednesday night, sending them to 10 nearby hospitals, including Queen of the Valley in Napa, Marin General and CPMC in San Francisco, said the hospital’s public information officer, Linda Williams. (Ho, 8/21)
AP:
Massive Northern California Wildfires Rage On; 1 Man Dead
Three massive wildfires chewed through parched Northern California landscape Sunday as firefighters raced to dig breaks and make other preparations ahead of a frightening weather system packing high winds and more of the lightning that sparked the huge blazes and scores of other fires around the state, putting nearly a quarter-million people under evacuation orders and warnings. At the CZU Lightning Complex fire in the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of San Francisco, authorities announced the discovery of the body of a 70-year-old man in a remote area called Last Chance. The man had been reported missing and police had to use a helicopter to reach the area, which is a string of about 40 off-the-grid homes at the end of a windy, steep dirt road north of the city of Santa Cruz. (Mendoza and Baker, 8/23)
Redding Record Searchlight:
'A Culture Shift': How California Evacuation Centers Are Dealing With Fires And COVID-19
The thousands of people evacuating from the wildfires burning across California are seeing something new this summer, and as with nearly every other aspect of their lives, the coronavirus drives it. Pushed by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for social distancing, shelter managers can no longer rely on large assembly halls at schools, fairgrounds and community centers to house wildfire evacuees. (Arthur and Rocha, 8/21)
The Washington Post:
Extreme Weather Threatens Coronavirus Pandemic Response In Hard-Hit States
Two tropical storms are expected to strike the Gulf Coast in rapid succession this week, compounding public health concerns in states fighting to keep new coronavirus cases down after a surge of infections earlier in the summer. (Hawkins and Iati, 8/24)
AP:
3 Years After Harvey, Some In Houston Still Waiting For Help
Some Houston residents say they endured difficult, often hazardous living conditions while waiting months, even years for help from the city to fix flood-damaged homes after Hurricane Harvey. Sleeping in a closet because it was the only space that didn’t reek of mold. Dealing with rodents and roaches that would come in through warped or rotted flooring. Couch surfing at 67 years old until patchwork repairs made a home temporarily habitable. Those were just some of the things people dealt with as they waited for help they say never came, despite submitting — and resubmitting — paperwork. (Lozano, 8/24)
New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Coronavirus Curtails Hurricane Katrina 15th Anniversary Commemorations, But Not Memories
But thanks to the coronavirus pandemic – and the potential threat of two other hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico this week – commemorations of the 15th anniversary of Katrina’s landfall on Aug. 29, 2005, will be far more understated than originally envisioned. (Spera, 8/23)
