Soberanes Fire: Six questions

What happens next, now that the Soberanes Fire is 100 percent contained? We posed six questions to Michelle Carbonaro, public information officer with the South Central Sierra Interagency Management Team.

1. The fire is fully contained. What does that mean exactly? Are there still areas burning?

“It’s contained but not controlled. There are still some areas where hot spots may flare up over the next few months. Downed redwoods hold heat for a while, so some smoke and haze can still happen.”

2. What will crews be doing from here on out?

“Crews are working hard on fire line suppression repair, meaning they’re working with equipment and hand crews to get roads and fire lines back into the shape they were before the fire started.”

3. Is there a new incident management team?

“As of Thursday morning, the South Central Sierra Interagency Management Team took over.”

4. Are command posts coming down?

“The camp at Toro Park is in the process of being dismantled. The Rana camp is being reduced to just a couple of crews. A new incident command post will be based out of King City, creating a shorter driving distance for firefighters to have access to most of the work that still remains.”

5. When will Toro Park re-open to the public?

“It’s not clear when the park will be officially open for public use.”

6. Are there concerns about mudslides when we get rain this winter?

“Fire crews will be monitoring the area for any risks associated with rainfall.”