Over a month after an illegal firework set the Templeton Feed and Grain building ablaze, cleanup crews are still working through what’s left of the structure.
“The cleanup, it’s taking longer than I think we thought,” said Brad Goodman, a Templeton resident.
Templeton Community Services District General Manager Jeff Briltz says that as rumors and frustration swirl online, it's time to address the community directly.
“There’s still a lot of questions in the community about what happened, why it took so long to contain the fire and bring the building down, and how its impacted the district’s water system,” said Briltz.
To help answer some of those questions, Templeton CSD and Templeton Fire are hosting a community Q&A on August 12th at the Templeton Community Center where residents will have a chance to hear the full story, and ask their own questions.
“The cause, our response time, our staffing that evening, and how critical that was. And then, the additional resources and the deployment of those resources that evening,” said Templeton Fire Chief Tom Peterson about some of the topics that will be discussed.
Although the fire is out now, the fallout continues. Some residents say the cleanup is causing new problems.
“There’s an odor. You sit out here on the patio at the Pig Iron and you can smell it. And there’s more flies, too,” said Goodman.
While no policies regarding fireworks will be changed at Tuesday’s meeting, Briltz recognizes that anecdotally, the issue of fireworks has been getting worse over the years. That discussion will happen September 2nd, when leaders will address potential changes to a local fireworks laws.
“Either we stay the course, and allow them, or alter the district code and eliminate them," says Briltz.
He and Peterson encourage community members to attend the meetings to ensure their voices are heard. Details about the meeting can be found here.
