Tuesday, December 4th, 2018 marked the first anniversary of the Thomas Fire which ravaged Ventura County, forever changing lives and the landscape of the Santa Clara Valley and so many other communities in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Supervisor Kelly Long, along with officials from Santa Paula and Fillmore, are encouraging local residents to take a moment this week to remember the fire victims and recognize the heroic efforts of our first responders.

The Thomas Fire started on December 4, 2017 just outside of Santa Paula and is the largest wildfire in Ventura County’s history consuming 281,893 acres, destroying over 1,000 structures, including 777 homes and requiring the evacuation of more than 94,000 people. “The Thomas Fire’s impact on the communities in the Santa Clara Valley cannot be understated.” Supervisor Long said, “Lives were lost, personal and agriculture property were lost and damaged, and our schools were forced to close, yet our communities remained resilient. The County continues its commitment to work closely with our local, state and federal agencies including FEMA and the SBA to rebuild properties damaged in the fire.”

This month’s one-year mark provides us a perfect opportunity to reflect on how our communities were impacted, lessons learned, and focus on steps we can take in the future to improve our collective disaster response approach. Santa Paula Mayor Ginger Gherardi stated, “We all witnessed neighbors helping neighbors and our public safety officials - at all levels, met the challenge to keep us safe and informed. It is critical that we acknowledge the impact that the Thomas Fire has had on all of us, assess our response, and chart our path forward”. Recovery efforts continue to this day with most damaged properties cleared of debris and nearly 2,000 properties surveyed with taxes adjusted by the County Assessor, Tax-Collector and Auditors office.

The recent Woolsey and Hill Fires which burned through more than 100,000 acres combined last month, highlight the importance of preparing for this “new normal”. Fire officials from Ventura County Fire as well as Fillmore Fire continue to remind us that wildfires are now a year-round reality in Ventura County. “Every family in the Santa Clara Valley should create a Family Disaster Plan that includes meeting locations and communications plans”, said Fillmore Fire Chief Keith Gurrola. “Residents need to take personal responsibility for protecting themselves, their family and their property and be ready to evacuate in a moment’s notice when a wildfire is on the move.”

Residents are encouraged to sign up for VC Alert at www.vcalert.org for all emergency notifications.