Fifteen more RVs, some suitable for more than four people, are coming Tuesday, November 14. “These units are already full,” said Paul Corah, media relations specialist at FEMA. “More are on order. We’re trying to accommodate as many people as possible.”

According to the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, the fairgrounds RV park may eventually house as many as 200 trailers.

One of the biggest challenges is finding space for the RVs for the 12-18 months that they will most likely be needed.

“We have a housing task force, with state, county and Federal agencies looking every single day to try to determine the best location for these trailers in Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, Butte and Lake counties,” said Corah. “Everyone has a housing need.”

Rebuilding can’t start until the EPA finishes removing hazardous waste from burned buildings. “They’re about 80 percent done with all of the affected counties,” says Corah. The next step after that is debris cleanup. For those property owners who signed a Right of Entry Form, FEMA will work with the Army Corps of Engineers to expedite the process.

“It’s is a huge challenge for us,” said Corah. “But we’re moving forward at lightening speed. We expect to get this whole job cleaned up, in all the counties, right after the first of the year.” Property owners have the option of doing their own cleanup, but they must comply with state standards

Ironically, many of the subcontractors who will work with the Army Corps of Engineers are staying at the Sonoma Fairgrounds RV Park. “I’d say about 60% of the residents here are disaster workers,” said Sonoma Fairgrounds RV Park camp host Tom Barker. “They came from Texas, Florida, following the disasters.”

Property cleanup entails removing all of the housing debris and ash. Metal is collected for recycling. In most cases, house foundations will also have to be eliminated. “Because of the heat of the fire, the metal inside the foundations melted, or is compromised so that it can’t support the weight of a house anymore,” said Corah. In addition, contaminants can leach underneath the foundation.

During clean up, the foundation and six inches of soil underneath are removed and taken to fire debris landfills. “Forty-some crews are already working in Sonoma County alone with giant tractors and dump trucks,” said Corah. Air quality is continually tested during this process to ensure public safety. 

Once properties are cleared of debris they are handed back to their owners who can then work with their insurance companies to move toward rebuilding. It’s a long process, which is why the trailers are expected to be occupied for 12 to 18 months. But at least families will get to stay in central Santa Rosa, close to transportation and services.

“We want to keep people here, in their schools, close to their work. That’s why these trailers are here. We don’t want people to leave,” said Corah.