Firefighters often don’t know what happens after they respond to an emergency. They may not know if a critical patient lives or dies as a result of their efforts, or what happens to a family who lost everything in a house fire. In the case of large-scale disasters or wildland fires, emergency workers may come from long distances to be part of an incident response. Once they complete their service at the incident and leave the area, they may never know the full impact on the community.
The Dixie Fire
In the summer of 2021, the second-largest wildland fire in California’s history burned nearly a million acres – 1,500 square miles – in the northern part of the state. More than 6,500 people battled the Dixie Fire over three months. The fire burned parts of five counties and destroyed 1,300 structures, along with most of the town of Greenville. It was the costliest firefighting effort in California history – over $610 million was spent to bring the fire under control.
Officially, the response to the Dixie Fire ended on Oct. 25, 2021. Emergency crews returned to their home bases with memories of the devastation from the fire. Residents were left to salvage what they could from what was left behind.
One of those locals was Michaela Trammell, who had lived in Plumas County nearly her entire life. Living in Meadow Valley when the fire started, she was among the first to be evacuated and was kept from returning to her home for 45 days. The fire came within one mile of her residence.
“I did not lose my home in the fire, but many of my closest friends did,” Trammell said. “Whether we lost a home in the fire, we all lost something.”
An a-ha moment
Trammell worked as a disaster case manager after the fire and was keenly aware of the losses suffered by the community. In this role, she helped to connect survivors with critical resources, such as document replacement assistance, food, water, clothing and shelter. It was during this time that she realized these were not the only important things that had been lost.
Working remotely, she often found herself handling cases while sitting under a giant maple tree in her backyard.
“One day I looked up into the canopy of that tree and realized what [else] was missing in the burn scar,” Trammell said. That was the moment she decided to start the Dixie Fire Canopy Project.
Investing in the “green”
The Dixie Fire Canopy Project is committed to putting the “green” back in Greenville and the surrounding area by providing the resources needed for reforestation, from planning and site preparation according to Firewise rules, to tree and shrub selection, digging, planting and backfilling. The project is grant-funded mainly through the Arbor Day Foundation (though donations are appreciated!) and is free for fire survivors.
The organization benefits the community and first responders in multiple ways, Trammell said. Trees, which have a significant effect on mental health and offer hope to those who have lost everything, are often taken for granted, until they’re gone.
“Some of our survivors have lived here for 50 years or more,” she said. “They planted trees when they first bought their homes many years ago. Giant trees have been a part of their families for decades.” She added that restoring trees gives those survivors “a sense of normalcy that the fire took away.”
These efforts also benefit the community, and those who respond to emergencies there, today and in the future. Following Firewise revegetation guidelines reduces the risk of future catastrophic fires and diminishes dangers from flooding and mudslides in areas that have been burned off.
Bonus benefit
Firefighters and other emergency responders who work to mitigate major disasters often leave that work with conflicted feelings – so much effort made and yet so much loss. They empathize with the painful challenges that survivors face in the months and years after the fire is extinguished. Knowing efforts are being made to help the community regain its identity through its landscape can provide some closure not only for survivors, but also for those on the front line.
