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Moorpark survives firestorm
Friends were already reaching out to help LaPerch and her 81year-old mother, Mildred, who both lost their homes and all their sentimental possessions during Sunday's fire, which burned about 14,000 acres. The blaze was contained by Wednesday, but the lives of several families will never be the same. Their spirits, however, remain unbroken. "People are amazing; these kinds of things restore your faith in humanity," said LaPerch, who's now living in a horse trailer and was busy trying to get the electricity reconnected. Sunday's fire was fast and intense, she told County Supervisorelect Peter Foy, who came to offer support. "It felt like I was walking into hell," she said, describing how she entered her house to fetch her birds while the fire was raging through it.
"Bad things sometimes happen to good people. God never promised he would keep us safe from bad things, but he said he will carry us through," said DeeWayne Jones, 71, whose family also lost two homes last Sunday. Jones and his wife, Shirley, daughter, Jody, and grandson, Adam, are staying at the Marriott Courtyard in Simi Valley and working to find a temporary home in Moorpark. "The family is safe and somehow we'll get through this and maybe we'll appreciate things even more," said Jones, a man of faith, whose family moved to the area in 1994. Wallace and Mildred Nishikawa and their daughter, Anne, were also left homeless as a result of the fire. They're staying with a family member who lives in the area, according to family friends. The fire broke out early Sunday morning on Shekell Road at Grimes Canyon Road behind the old Egg City facility, said Vaughan Miller, assistant chief with the Ventura County Fire Department. Arson investigators reported Wednesday that the fire was caused by downed power lines. A second fire that began farther east near Happy Camp Road and Broadway at about 7 a.m. merged into the first. Officials don't yet know what sparked that blaze. The Shekell fire destroyed five homes, the Egg City complex on Grimes Canyon Road that a company used as a warehouse, and several outhouses. About five other homes and farmland also sustained damage, said fire officials. Those homes are on Charles Street, Sir George and Lucille Court. A property on Walnut Canyon Road also suffered damage. "The flames reached within developments. Nobody can explain how the fire behaved," said Hugh Riley, assistant city manager for Moorpark. "We've had a number of residents lose their homes, escaping literally with just the clothes on their back," said Riley. But because they were prepared ahead of time they escaped with their lives, he said. "The firefighters were amazing and effective in the way they battled this fire; they saved many homes," said Ray Albino, who took photos of a plane dropping retardant near Moorpark College. Many orchards sustained substantial injury to trees, said David Buettner, chief deputy agricultural commissioner. The estimated loss so far is about $1.8 million. A total of 223 acres were damaged. The fire affected avocado, lemon and orange crops at more than 20 locations. The Department of Agriculture is still gathering information, Buettner said. The county will reassess the properties affected by the fire to minimize tax expenses in the future, said Foy. The tax assessor will also see if he can delay payment of property taxes that haven't been paid so those affected by the fire can regroup. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared the area a disaster, said Foy. The Federal Emergency Management Agency authorized the use of federal funds to help pay for firefighting costs, which were estimated at $4.5 million earlier this week. The state of emergency enables city and county agencies to access state and federal funds that otherwise would not be available to them. "We're very grateful for that," said Mayor Patrick Hunter, who also visited the fire-ravaged sites. The city will expedite permits and provide assistance to facilitate the rebuilding efforts, he said. Several roads were closed on Sunday and Monday. Moorpark Unified School District schools were not in session on Monday and Walnut Canyon Elementary School remained closed on Tuesday. The two homes on the LaPerch property were underinsured, so friends who were at the ranch on Monday invited residents to make donations to the LaPerch Group at the Union Bank in Moorpark. Funds can be sent directly to the Jones family. Cash, checks or gift certificates may be sent to the family at PO Box 1012, Moorpark, CA 93021, according to the Seventh-day Adventist Church of Camarillo. The Rotary Club of Moorpark has also set up an account to help all the families affected by the fire. Donors can designate a family if they choose, said club president Jim Arthur. Checks payable to the Moorpark Fire Fund may be mailed to the Rotary Club of Moorpark, PO Box 172, Moorpark, CA 93020. For more information, call Arthur at (805) 492-9006. |
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