Creek Fire 2020

This was a scary time for the community of Shaver Lake, many of us in the timber industry along with the folks who had been paying attention understood an event like this was long overdue.

The Creek Fire was a large wildfire that started on September 4, 2020, near Shaver Lake, California, and became one of the largest fires of the 2020 California wildfire season. The fire burned 379,895 acres and was declared 100% contained on December 24, 2020. The fire burned mostly in the Sierra National Forest. The Creek Fire was the fifth-largest wildfire in modern California history, and the second-largest single fire not part of a greater complex. The fire necessitated the rescue of hundreds of people by National Guard helicopters. Evacuations were issued in North Fork, Bass Lake, Big Creek, Shaver, Huntington Lake, Tollhouse, and Auberry, California. Half the homes in Big Creek were reported to have been destroyed by the fire. The Creek Fire destroyed at least 856 buildings and cost over $193 million in fire suppression costs, while the total property damage is currently unknown.

I happened to be home from out of town when the evacuation orders were put out. First priority was to evacuate the family and all the animals on the property.

Second, was to secure all my equipment for work and prepare the land for the encroaching fire. It is amazing how fast you can accomplish large tasks when push comes to shove, there is something that comes alive in a person when "survival mode" kicks in.

At this point a handful of my friends were deployed to this fire on their Fire Module contracts and we had made the family property a base camp for 8 Timber Fallers. This was the first sense of relaxation I had during this hectic time, sitting around a campfire with generators running and men grinding chain in the background getting ready for the next day of fighting fire. It felt like a regular logging camp with 8 Timber Fallers and their tents haphazardly pitched around the barn.

Over the next few days, a couple Significant events happened. I along with a few other local timber fallers had been deployed on an emergency order to help relieve the lack of available resources. The night before we were deployed the crew at our little base camp watched from the safety of a few ridgelines over as the community of Cressman Rd was engulfed in flame. Included in that blaze was the little cabin my good friend Blake called home. We waited until we were given the authority to roam the fire line, and after our shift that day we decided to see what was left of Blakes home. It was work, we chopped downed powerlines with axes and cut burning logs out of the road for a substantial amount of time. We were hopeful for some reason, but as we made progress towards his cabin it was increasingly obvious that chances were slim. We finally made it to the remnants of his cabin, and I was able to capture a few moments while Blake took in the scene and stuffed his emotions inside. There was no time to grieve, there was only work to be done.

This small mountain community sandwiched between Yosemite National Park and Sequoia National Park called Shaver Lake came together and fought as one. The amount of support the people of Shaver showed each other was awesome. At this point I had worked on a few fires that burnt through towns and communities, but I hadn't seen the strength and resilience that these people displayed. It was also a very unique experience for me, as stated before I had seen fire and what it does to a place of gathering. I was unprepared for the thoughts and emotions I experienced as I worked to help control the monster that was destroying the place that built my whole foundation as a man.

Years later there are men and women still dealing with the after math of the 380,000-acre behemoth known as the creek fire. There are people still rebuilding homes, businesses and families. On a positive note, as devastating as the fire was there have been opportunities for many people to build better.

Now that I think back, I believe this may have been one of the first catalysts to push me onto the journey I am on today. I am currently working towards holding my own Federal and State level firefighting contracts. Hopefully, I can use this opportunity to connect with the communities I am working in on future wildfire incidents and better understand their needs beyond the immediate threat. I think I should wrap this up with a short quote that comes to mind when I think about the Creek Fire.

" Tragedy breeds Opportunity. "

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

- Brennen Miller

Top Heavy Timber LLC