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Clearlake outlines recovery steps after Boyle's fire that destroyed dozens of homes
Summary
Clearlake officials described damage assessments, a phased hazardous-waste cleanup and multiagency assistance after a recent fire that forced thousands to evacuate and destroyed dozens of dwellings. City staff said state assessments and potential federal help are pending.
Mayor Coffey and city staff told the Clearlake City Council on Sept. 19 that the city is focused on recovery after a recent fire that destroyed multiple homes and displaced thousands.
"A few weeks ago, we had a fire that decimated 30 homes in our community," Mayor Coffey said, thanking first responders, utilities and community partners for their response. City Manager Flores and other staff summarized evacuation numbers and damage assessments, and described ongoing and planned recovery steps.
Flores said preliminary assessments put public and private property damage "just over 13.6" (the transcript does not specify units). He said the city has submitted updated damage reports and expects Cal OES (California Governor's Office of Emergency Services) and the Small Business Administration to perform site assessments to determine eligibility for additional assistance, noting the SBA threshold for favorable private property loan terms is 25 destroyed or significantly damaged homes.
Staff briefed the council on cleanup plans. They said a phase-1 hazardous-waste removal (household hazardous waste and vehicle batteries) was scheduled to start Monday at 8 a.m. and could last up to two weeks. The city is coordinating that work with Lake County Environmental Health and county emergency staff. Flores said if the event is included in a state disaster declaration, the state would assume additional cleanup responsibilities.
The council also heard that a Local Assistance Center (LAC), run with the Red Cross, Department of Social Services and Cal OES, served roughly 350 people over three days and provided case management for approximately 160 households. Director Swanson said the LAC connected residents with on-site counseling, document replacement services and referrals to longer-term case management through North Coast Opportunities.
Residents and water-district representatives praised emergency responders and mutual-aid partners. Frank Foster, speaking for his water district, said crews pumped more water during the fire than ever before "over 900 gallons a minute" and described ongoing infrastructure projects intended to improve firefighting resiliency.
City staff warned that recovery will involve extensive paperwork and coordination and that federal programs can take years to deliver funds. They said the city will hold debriefs and "hot wash" meetings soon to capture lessons learned and to help affected residents navigate assistance options.
The mayor asked residents with ongoing needs to contact City Hall so staff can connect them with available resources. Council members and staff emphasized continued coordination with county and state agencies as assessments and cleanup proceed. The council adjourned to closed session at the end of the meeting.
