Our task was to clear this cement pad of ash, metal, and rubble.
We traveled to Cobb Mountain following 2016’s Valley Fire to dig through an ash-filled house.
A sobering, dirty job for friends.
Some eighty of us gathered at the Middletown Lion’s Club in the morning. After being given general directions and specific supplies, our leader spoke to us about our “mission” that morning.
“You’re here to help, of course,” a fire captain explained, “but you’re also here to listen. Don’t worry about completing a task if the homeowner needs to talk. They’ve been through a traumatic experience. For many people, just having people who care and who will listen will make a difference.”
That’s exactly what happened.
As described here, a dozen of us drove about half an hour west from Middletown to the home of members at our church. (The church is some 45 miles away in Sonoma County.)
He’s holding a piece of glass from the oven window. The cookies were lost . . .
The owner met us with hugs and thanksgiving. Her husband had to work that day and would not be there. She read a statement from him, thanking us but assuring us they planned to rebuild and were grateful to God for many things.
Preparing to work in ash
We prayed together and then she explained that the house had no hazardous materials and we didn’t need to worry about asbestos.
We wore Tyvek suits and a mask.
One goal for the day
The goal that day was to clear the cement pad that had been their garage.
It was knee deep in burned out appliances, twisted metal, potential dangerous metal shards and everything needed to be sifted.
Someone was coming to buy the metal. We needed to clear all the metal into a pile for the metal hauler.
Sifting through the ash
We had two sifters: two people manned each. Metal went into the pile, everything else into a heavy duty plastic bag. Our gloves were thick.
It took us five hours to clear off the garage pad. We had to deal with a burned out washer, dryer, refrigerator, stove, tools, lawnmower, and even a crumbling chainsaw. The iron tools survived–a crowbar, needle-nosed pliers, the dented Craftsman tool chest (do you suppose Sears will replace it?)
I unearthed several radial arm saw blades, still savagely sharp but nothing to keep.
We found distorted wine glasses, readable paper, and pools of melted metal. A mechanical engineer with metallurgical expertise, estimated the fire’s heat at over 1400 degrees–which is where aluminum melts–but less than 1800 or so since the iron tools were intact.
We were shocked to unearth what was once a fiberglass handle hammer–the hammerhead was fine, the fiberglass shaggy strings. The maul’s wooden handle was gone, too.
What survived?
What little remained intact was ceramics or buried under ceramics. The dollhouse burned, but not the tiny ceramic pitcher.
But the lightbulb didn’t shatter!
The ash drifted as we shoveled it through the sifters, so we were thankful for the masks. The Tyvek suits felt comfortable on that overcast morning and by afternoon when the sky stretched a beautiful blue, we pushed back the hoods.
The fire began two miles downhill from where the house stood.
The couple has already parked the fifth wheel beside the garage pad. Going inside to use the cramped bathroom, it felt like a comfortable home. KDFC out of San Francisco–classical music–wafted from the radio and comfortable chairs looked to the view.
And then you stepped outside into ash and destruction.
Surreal.
Next time I’ll talk about the finds we made in the house.
Interested in more photos? Check out my Visiting Cobb after the Fire Pinterest board here.
From the dollhouse
Tweetables
Sifting through the ash of a burned out house. Click to Tweet
How hot was the fire? Pools of melted metal tell. Click to Tweet
The remains of the tool chest
What remains in a house after a 1400 degree fire? Click to Tweet
The crowbar still worked!
Dear Michelle, I applaud each and everyone of you for the wonderful job you are doing. It makes the word volunteer all capital letters–VOLUNTEER. Great job and thanks again for your fine and hard work. I am saying a prayer for all those affected. Gilda
Wow, Michelle! What a great and helpful effort you all made. I have never seen a light bulb like the one in your photo. Who would have ever guessed it would not shatter from the heat but act like melted wax? This post gets high fives for your service and your reporting!
How precious that you went to help. Our neighbor’s home burned recently. We were just in shock. They’ve been shifting through the rubble. The girls wondered why … but my grandparent’s home burned down years ago, and I told the girls … you just never know what you will find … something that miraculously didn’t burn. I’ve got to find a way to help my neighbors.
Thanks for prayers and comments. A fire captain at our church, currently on the injured list, was the one who spearheaded all of this. He reflected maybe his injury came so he could be of service to the community. He’s been up (we live 40 miles away) numerous times, scouting and preparing for this great group of volunteers–there were close to 80 of us, including 20 kids who drove up from Fresno and spent the night at our church before working all day. We also had a youth group from the East bay join us. It was a gorgeous day and we all were so happy to help.
The needs are immense and while California is in desperate need of rain, heavy rain will cause even more nightmares on Cobb Mountain. So, now I’m praying for a long period of soft, gentle rain that fills the water reserves but doesn’t destroy anymore.
We all, too, were so totally blessed by L’s tremendous faith and attitude. Truly, we were as blessed as she was.
Two more posts coming next week.