Industry responds to devastating wildfires By Russell W. Snyder
As sprawling wildfire, weaponized by winds gusting up to 80 mph, rampaged through Northern California’s scenic wine country, CalAPA members sprang into action alongside police and firefighters even as their own homes were threatened and in some cases consumed by the flames. In a state accustomed to its share of natural disasters, whether it be earthquakes, drought, flooding and seasonal brushfires, these October conflagrations – there were a total of 170 separate wildland fires going on in different parts of the state in the month – the Atlas fire stood out for its breathtaking speed and indiscriminate devastation the likes of which have not been seen in California in its history. “Think of it like a giant blowtorch,” said Scott McLean, Deputy Chief of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CAL FIRE. “Highway 101 wasn’t even a speed bump. It was pushed by 60 mph winds, with some clocked at 80 mph. It
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The Northern California wildfires that swept across the wine country in October were pushed by winds gusting up to 80 mph. Photos courtesy of CAL FIRE.
started in Calistoga and the winds pushed the flames to Santa Rosa in a few hours. It hit the residential areas between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. It’s the middle of the night, when most people were asleep.” Some of the victims never made it out of their homes. Weeks later, cars are charred hulks in driveways, never getting a chance to ferry families to safety. Homes were blackened skeletons or
indistinguishable piles of rubble. “There were 43 people killed,” McLean said, "It’s a miracle that there weren’t more fatalities.” CalAPA member companies BoDean Co., based in Santa Rosa, and Syar Industries, based in Napa, found themselves at the center of the disaster, which threatened their businesses, employees and communities. [ Continued on page 10]
California Asphalt Magazine • 2017 Equipment Issue