On Tuesday, the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors approved the CZU Rebuild Directive, which removes a geological hazard evaluation requirement but required another document stating the evaluation had not been done. Owners say this clause will affect property values, and officials are looking into possible adjustments.
Wildfires
Posted inPolitics & Policy
‘Where do we go from here?’: Activists will hold community forum to address racial, social issues
Activist Thairie Ritchie is hosting a discussion Saturday, seeking to engage the larger community about the traumatic issues Santa Cruz County residents have had to deal with this year. It will be held from 1 to 6 p.m. at Mission Plaza in Santa Cruz.
Posted inEnvironment
Giant Forest trees prepped for flames in Sequoia National Park as KNP Complex fire closes in
Flames from the KNP Complex fire were within reach Thursday of the sequoias in the Giant Forest, fire crews warned. “A lot of special effort is going into protecting this grove,” a parks spokesperson said as firefighters wrapped trees and structures in a fire-resistant aluminum material.
Posted inLatest News
Charred trees, destroyed homes — Biden tours wildfire danger during California trip
President Biden visited a firefighting headquarters in Idaho before he’s expected to tour wildfire damage near Sacramento.
Posted inLatest News
A clause for concern: CZU victims express fear over verbiage included in proposed geological revision
The board of supervisors agreed to hear more information on the topic in two weeks and encouraged homeowners to flesh out their concerns further. “If you feel strongly that this is going to have an impact on the value of your homes, I would suggest coming back with some evidence from real estate professionals,” Manu Koenig said.
Posted inLatest News
PG&E sheds light on Ben Lomond power outage, what was tripping the ‘fast trip’ tech: It was squirrels
Thousands of Ben Lomond residents were angry at PG&E over the weekend as power went out. A spokesperson for the utility company told Lookout on Monday that squirrels biting or touching a line triggered the new “fast trip” mechanism.
Posted inLatest News
Lives turned upside down: Longtime local entrepreneurs grappling with unique double whammy
A family legacy that started with Jan’s Cakes in the 1960s got thrown into upheaval, first by COVID and then by the CZU Lightning Complex Fire. The longtime homestead and center of business for the family that runs Buttercup Cakes and Farmhouse Frosting was destroyed; now the family is pondering what to do.
Posted inEnvironment
Lightning, fire, flash floods: California gripped by extreme weather
Severe lightning and thunderstorms spurred shelter-in-place warnings, rockfalls and mudslides, and the threat of new ignitions to already massive wildfires.
Posted inLatest News
Will CZU survivors get relief? Supervisors set to reevaluate geologic surveys for those trying to rebuild
Following the Aug. 10 board meeting, Supervisors Bruce McPherson and Ryan Coonerty directed the County Planning Department and the Office of Response, Recovery and Resilience to provide some options at the Sept. 14 meeting, which would allow CZU fire survivors to rebuild without having to mitigate potential geologic hazards that existed on their property before the fire. What will happen on Tuesday?
Posted inLatest News
After a disastrous summer of fire, California braces for a potentially worse fall
“We’re right smack in the middle of wildfire peak season,” Cal Fire Chief Thom Porter said. The outlook for the rest of the year includes more heat and dryness.
