City manager praises coordinated response to Toll Fire; Calistoga served evacuees and hosted a cooling center
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Summary
City staff described the July 1 Toll Fire response as successful: the city opened the Emergency Operations Center and cooling/evacuation site, coordinated with Cal Fire and the county, and helped evacuees without needing overnight shelter after evacuation orders were lifted the same day.
City staff told the Calistoga City Council that the city’s emergency-preparedness systems performed well during a locally disruptive Toll Fire earlier in the month. City Manager Laura Sneidman said staff activated a soft opening of the Emergency Operations Center, established a Joint Information Center with county partners, and used the community center as an evacuation and cooling site.
Cal Fire provided firefighting resources, including aircraft; staff reported that winds remained favorable and that evacuation orders were lifted by the end of the day, so the city did not need to arrange overnight shelter. The city manager thanked County Sheriff’s Office and the Office of Emergency Services for coordination.
Council members asked and staff answered questions about reservoir levels and the possible use of water for firefighting, noting evaporation and environmental release requirements as additional contributors to lower reservoir levels.
What’s next: Staff will share lessons learned and can respond to follow-up questions on resource deployment and any potential cost-recovery or billing related to firefighting resource use.