Rain offers relief to firefighters

Kevin Kennedy remembers watching firefighters battle flames from the Soberanes Fire in her backyard. It was more than a little frightening.

“Just trusting the firemen to do what they said they would do and they did an incredible job,” said Kennedy.

Having nearly lost her home to the fire, Kennedy was happy to see rain this weekend.

“It was lovely,” she said. “The rain was really gentle so we didn’t have to worry about any erosion.”

Over 11 inches of rain fell near the Loma Fire in the Santa Cruz mountains. Over seven inches came down in areas near the Soberanes Fire.

It was a welcome sight for fire crews, too.

“It certainly helped to make sure that the fires are probably now in a safe condition, where they’re not going to spread anymore,” said Gaudenz Panholzer, Monterey Fire Chief.

Panholzer says the relief will only be temporary. Fuels like grasses and brush will absorb moisture from the rain, but dry out quickly when warm weather returns. Wildfire season in California never really ends, he says – it’s yearlong and it’s now at his peak.

“A one-weekend storm is not the end to wildfire season by any stretch,” he said.

Panholzer suggests Californians prepare for disaster year-round. “And we should be mindful that if you’re ready to pack up and evacuate in the event of a wildfire, you’re also ready to pack up and evacuate in the event of any kind of flooding, disaster, or anything other than that.”

That’s a sentiment echoed by Kennedy and fellow Carmel Highlands residents.

“We’re not blase or naive about the dangers, but we also have a lot of faith that we’ll know what to do should the time arise,” Kennedy said.