El Dorado County Launches Caldor Fire Recovery Information Web Page
El Dorado County today announced the creation of a dedicated, comprehensive website devoted to information and resources for County residents affected by the Caldor Fire. The site contains helpful information for those who have suffered property loss or damage or been displaced from their homes and serves as a one-stop shop to help answer people’s questions.
Although the Caldor Fire continues to burn in some areas and containment is only slightly more than 50 percent, some evacuation orders have been lifted or downgraded, and many displaced residents have returned to their homes and are eager for guidance on the steps ahead.
“El Dorado County staff is committed to helping residents work through this profoundly difficult time,” said Chief Administrative Officer Don Ashton. “Our new web page will provide the critical information people need to access during the recovery period that lies ahead and will be continually updated to serve our residents.”
Information on the new page includes what to do when you return home, the do’s and don’ts about the clean-up
process, the planning and building component of the rebuilding process, how the Assessor’s office and
Treasurer-Tax Collector can be contacted for changes to your tax base, and services provided by Health and Human Services including mental health, shelter and benefits. In addition, there is helpful information from
state and federal agencies, including the California Office of Emergency Services and the U.S. Forest Service.
“Two of the most important things at this point are to take safety precautions when re-entering your properties
and to fill out the Right of Entry form to become eligible for the State’s free hazardous debris removal program,” Ashton noted. “Cleaning up rather than sifting through properties could jeopardize someone’s eligibility in the program. Looking for family keepsakes and mementos is fine, but starting the cleanup process and removing non-personal items from the footprint of the property isn’t,” he added.
The Caldor Fire Recovery page can be found here and via the home page of the County’s website here.
A separate email address and phone number have been created for residents with general Caldor Fire questions.
The email is edccaldorrecovery@edcgov.us. The phone number, staffed from 8AM-5PM, is 530-621-5101.
The Right of Entry form also has a dedicated email for people who have questions or need assistance. That email is caldorfireroe@edcgov.us.
“Our goal is to get every resident whose home is damaged or destroyed to submit an ROE because that will be our best chance to begin the cleanup process quickly,” said Ashton.
As CAL FIRE begins to lift the Caldor Fire evacuation orders and warnings in certain areas of the County, many of you are wondering when and how you'll be notified that it's safe to return home and many of you are wondering why the evacuation orders are in place if there's no visible fire in your area.
First, please be assured that the fire teams and law enforcement teams are working in tandem with water and power agencies to do their best to get you home as soon as it's safely possible. The Incident Commanders, operations leaders, and meteorologists are constantly monitoring the fire activity to both fight the fire itself and to determine when it's safe to repopulate areas.
While you may not have or see fire directly in line with your property, CAL FIRE officials emphasized that a single ember can land a half mile to a mile away and spark a hotspot that can quickly increase the fire's scope or change its path. They also noted that 75% of embers are sparking fires. And while that's down from the 95% of a couple days ago, it is still a serious threat.
Additionally, even after the fire has been controlled in a certain area, the job of mopping up begins, including taking all the hoses out, clearing debris, checking the power lines and ensuring the area is fully safe for repopulation. When an evacuation order is downgraded to a warning, it is possible for citizens to repopulate that area. However, it does not mean that the “all clear” has been given. Citizens should still use caution and be aware of the possibility of new evacuations until the warning has been lifted. The last thing that CAL FIRE wants to do is to declare an “all-clear” only to have to reissue an evacuation warning or order.
I know these times are extremely stressful, especially the component of not knowing when we'll be allowed back home. I'm asking you to trust in the professionals who are working in your best interest to get you home as quickly as is safely possible.
If you were notified by CODE RED about your evacuation, you will be notified again by CODE RED when it is safe to return; otherwise CAL FIRE, EL Dorado County Sheriff and the County will post notices to social media.
 The Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit is a National Forest straddling California and Nevada in the Tahoe Basin. The LTBMU encompasses 154,851 acres (626 km²) of National Forest system lands, ranging in altitude from 6,225’ at lake level to 10,881’ at Freel Peak. The U.S. Forest Service established the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit in 1973.
To access LTMBU's Caldor Fire resources, visit their website: www.fs.usda.gov/ltbmu
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