Complexes of wildfires in Siskiyou County have burned hundreds of thousands of acres this fire season. The acreage of a fire doesn’t always measure its impact, though.
Paul Palfini: “As far as the fires go that have been around Siskiyou County I think this is probably the most devastating one because it’s damaged the most structures. And you know, you’ve got some people who are insured. And we’re worried mostly about the people that aren’t.”
That’s Paul Palfini, who works at an insurance office in Mt. Shasta. He saw the calls start coming in when the Boles Fire started Monday afternoon and quickly swept through Weed. Flourishing on the dry, hot, windy conditions, it’s destroyed more than 100 homes.
Latest numbers from CalFire put the blaze at 375 acres.
Palfini said that despite the positive attitudes and good intentions of community members, many who lost homes will face a stark reality.
Palfini: “There’s a lot of families that just don’t have the finances to rebuild — they don’t have the coverage to rebuild.”
Up to 2,000 people have been forced to evacuate Weed, Carrick and Lake Shastina. An evacuation center is set up at the Siskiyou County Fairgrounds in Yreka.
The Boles Fire is 20 percent contained. There’s a slight chance for showers later in the day, but winds could gust higher than 35 miles an hour — so the weather could hurt more than it helps.
Authorities continue to investigate the fire's cause.