On behalf of the residents living near the north side of the Alamo Fire, I wish to give my heartfelt thanks to all the firefighters on the ground and in the air who came from near and far to help protect our lives, property, and livestock.
Being one who stayed after the evacuation order, I witnessed firsthand firefighters who put in 24-hour shifts before returning to the rodeo grounds. There were no hot meals served or sleeping quarters out here. There are no facilities at all. These firemen got little, if any, rest. Still, they always remained professional, extremely polite, and upbeat. Moreover, they gave the residents confidence with their ability to handle any situation.
Some unknown heroes in firefighting, I discovered, were the private contractors who performed outstanding dangerous bulldozer work. Firms like Bennett Livestock stayed on-site for several days straight and worked tirelessly in the dark until after 1 a.m. cutting firebreaks in extremely steep, mountainous, and unknown terrain.
Also, a thanks to the California Highway Patrol officers who worked 12-hour shifts with no services and to the Cal Fire workers, who manned the roads round the clock to keep evacuated homes safe. These individuals were sometimes the only source of information residents had as all phone lines and electricity were out.
When you have an opportunity to drive out Highway 166 east, you will see what a gigantic undertaking this was just on the north side of the fire and what a phenomenal job was done to keep everybody safe. So our country hats are off to everyone who has contributed in any way to, this time, a successful win at the Alamo.
This article appears in Jul 20-27, 2017.