For some Huasna Valley residents, it’s been days since they received an evacuation warning due to the Gifford Fire. Some say they’re just waiting for the order to evacuate.
In the 23 years Kristie Molina has lived in Huasna Valley, she says she’s never seen a fire this close to her home. Molina says she got the evacuation warning three days ago and her family has been packed ever since.
“It was scary to realize everything and then you don't know what to take, and then you realize you took stuff you didn't even need just [to] have it, just in case,” Molina said. “So I'm just glad. I hope we don't have to worry anymore about it.”
Molina said even before getting the evacuation warning, her family has been mindful of protecting their home. They keep the brush around their home trimmed down and have hoses available in case of a fire.
“When you live out here, you always know that there's a possibility of that happening,” Molina said. “So you kind of, can kind of prepare yourself. This is something every summer we worry about, so we're real conscious of it.”
Fire officials say that the best way to protect your home if you are in a high fire danger area is to clear brush, overhanging limbs and other vegetation that is near your home.
“The idea being is that if a fire is approaching your structure, that embers are falling ahead of that fire, and that if you have those areas cleared, even wood piles, you have a chance of your house surviving better than if you didn’t,” said Mark Ruggiero, Gifford Fire Public Information Officer.
While Molina said she feels relieved about the situation, they are not in the clear yet.
“We haven't been given the all clear, so we still are staying prepared to leave if we have to,” she said. “We've got everything loaded up, all our dogs, all we have to take.”
