Infrastructure In Grizzly Flats Being Assessed For Repairs After Caldor Fire

GRIZZLY FLATS (CBS13) — Repairing the infrastructure successful Grizzly Flats is simply a precedence aft hundreds of homes were destroyed.

Crews volition beryllium hard astatine enactment for a agelong time, officials say, and unit is relying connected galore hands to assistance bring radical home.

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Andy Vicars works for the Grizzly Flats Community Services District.

“Basically, I americium the lone attraction feline here,” helium said. “We’re trying though.”

Vicars has the daunting task of assessing infrastructure aft the Caldor Fire ripped done his assemblage destroying two-thirds of the homes there.

“So we person to flush each the systems out,” helium said.

They spell artifact by block, flushing retired lines and hydrants. It’s a challenge.

“Because the roots are inactive connected occurrence retired there. They are inactive smoldering, adjacent a period later,” Vicars said.

It’s caused further harm to h2o lines 2 feet underground. Pipes that provender the intake to the reservoir were besides damaged.

“It was each hand-dug by the Chinese successful 1842—the eagle ditch line—and we enactment pipes successful determination and they burned,” Vicars said. “And successful bid to get those repaired, we person to person the hazard trees retired of the mode and it’s a process.”

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Tree crews were hard astatine enactment with dense machinery, arsenic good arsenic hazmat crews. Until assessments are completed, h2o is not drinkable. Pallets of h2o person been brought successful for the dozens of residents who decided to return.

El Dorado County is moving with the California Office of Emergency Services to supply different services.

“We are trying to get a ablution trailer up determination for radical to instrumentality showers and past besides a trailer that they tin bash their laundry and dryer their apparel in, too,” said George Turnboo, an El Dorado County supervisor.

Vicars’ was 1 whose location did not pain successful the fire.

“It’s a blessing and a curse,” helium said.

As helium looked each astir his location astatine the neighbors that are gone, helium was reflective of his role.

“Maybe that’s wherefore my location is here, truthful I tin proceed that effort,” helium said.

But helium knows the roadworthy to betterment volition beryllium a agelong one.

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“It’s a large situation and a agelong mode to spell still,” Vicars said. “Hopefully, we get immoderate much help.”

Rachel Wulff