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Katherine Molohon has lived in Berry Creek her whole life and As Sandy stayed behind, readying to protect their home if need be, Craig went to man followed in the footsteps of her father (and aunt and uncle) to become a volunteer firefighter. the water tender and spent the day pumping PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHERINE MOLOHON water from Lake Oroville at the Enterprise boat ramp to deliver to engines bound for the remove some of the heat, and doing some front lines. Early in the evening, Sandy heard small backfiring,” Craig said. “They didn’t radio chatter about firefighters falling back have much time for prepping, because before from Station 51, a career station farther up we knew it, the fire was here. the hill where crews were staging, and knew “You couldn’t see more than a foot and a it was time to leave. half in front of you,” he said. “Some of the “I figured if these guys, the real profesfirefighters were taking serious heat in the sionals, are retreating, then I have no busilungs. It was like that for about 20 minutes, ness thinking I could stop anything,” she and then it was gone.” said. “I called Craig In Berry Creek, to ask him if I should four of the volunmeet [him] at the water teer force—includtender, and he said, ‘No, “The fire coming ing Rankin and you need to get off the Molohon—had been in sounds like a mountain.’” “staffing” (staying full Sandy said her skill time) at Fire Station jet engine, and set leans toward medical 61 since Aug. 17, the emergencies that account day lightning strikes you can’t hear for the large majority of sparked 21 wildfires Company 52’s service in Plumas and Lassen anything.” calls and that she feared National Forests. —Berry Creek volunteer she’d be in the way in On Sept. 8, they firefighter Katherine Molohon the firefight. So she received a call from evacuated to Oroville a resident of the and put her communicaMountain House tion skills to use, helping keep evacuees and area—about 15 minutes up the hill from their fire personnel connected and updated. station—who said the glow of the fires was As he made his runs up and down the hill, fast approaching. The company loaded into Craig found himself in the area of the Gold the squad vehicle—a pickup truck with a utilFlake as flames fast approached the building. ity bed outfitted with some hand tools, mediKnowing he couldn’t singlehandedly stop the cal equipment and small amounts of water advancing wall of flame, he parked on a turn and hose—and went to investigate. above the saloon known to locals as “Crash En route, the crew began encountering Corner” and prepared to watch the beloved spot fires, and the firefighters were soon bar burn. Then, in the nick of time, he heard surrounded by flaming, towering trees. over the radio that ground crews were showThey immediately turned their attention ing up to protect the Gold Flake. He joined toward driving the winding mountain roads them as they pulled into the parking lot. “The hand crews went crazy, they jumped straight out and started cutting everything to FIRE C O N T I N U E D O N PA G E 1 2
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OCTOBER 8, 2020
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