Bob Fenton Reflects On A Year Of Leading FEMA’s Fire Recovery Efforts On Maui
Story by Civil Beat. Jennifer Gray Thompson, president of the nonprofit After the Fire, said last month that FEMA’s experience on Maui will likely benefit communities in the future that experience their own tragedies. On a hot Saturday in January, Bob Fenton of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was easy to spot in the bright…
Read MoreA year after Maui wildfire, chronic housing shortage and pricey vacation rentals complicate recovery
Story by AP news. Jennifer Gray Thompson, the CEO of nonprofit fire-recovery initiative After The Fire, said she has worked in 18 counties that have suffered massive wildfires since 2017, when she herself lived through blazes that ripped through Northern California’s wine country. LAHAINA, Hawaii (AP) — Josephine Fraser worried her young family’s next…
Read MoreRebuilding begins in Lahaina wildfire impact zone
Story by West Hawaii Today. “What’s really important in a megafire like this one, and every single one, is visual deliverable of progress and hope, and that’s what you are providing here for your community,” said Gray Thompson, who went through the massive wildfire in October 2017 that devastated the California North Bay Counties of…
Read More6 years after California’s deadly Camp Fire, some residents are returning to Paradise
Story by CBS news. “People who do decide to rebuild in a place like Paradise, they’re often even safer than they were before the fire, because that place has already been burned.” The town of Paradise, California, was almost completely destroyed in the 2018 Camp Fire — which scorched more than 150,000 acres and was the deadliest…
Read MoreOregon wildfire victims face huge tax bills on PacifiCorp settlements; Congressional fix is stuck
Story by Oregon Live. The disaster tax relief only accounts for about $5.5 billion of the bill’s $70 billion cost. “We don’t have time for people to play politics with the victims. We’re simply out of time.” A bipartisan bill that would exempt wildfire settlements from federal taxation is now mired in election year…
Read MoreTax relief for fire victims still uncertain
Story by The Plumas Sun. “We cannot stop or cease momentum. This is the fight and together we have created a very effective movement to bring justice to fire survivors,” Thompson said in a press release. Victims of the Dixie Fire are in jeopardy of being victimized yet again. State and federal taxes, imposed on…
Read MoreEncore: Coordinating Response and Maximizing Resources During Crisis with Aristotle Wolfe
Encore: Coordinating Response and Maximizing Resources During Crisis with Aristotle Wolfe “If you’re just doing a very limited role and not maximizing your contribution, you’re selling yourself short. And it’s probably not why you were selected.” -Aristotle Wolfe When disaster strikes, police officers take on the difficult but vital role of protecting the…
Read MoreEncore: Managing the Wildland— Strategies for Protecting Private Lands from Mega Fires with Algeo Che Casul
Encore: Managing the Wildland— Strategies for Protecting Private Lands from Mega Fires with Algeo Che Casul “You do have to bring in some science and some education. But there is something that people who have this generational knowledge can teach.” –Algeo Che Casul Mega fires pose a grave threat to private lands across…
Read MoreEncore: Emergent Leadership: The Power of Community in Disaster Recovery and Rehousing Efforts with Margie Foster
Encore: Emergent Leadership: The Power of Community in Disaster Recovery and Rehousing Efforts with Margie Foster “Don’t expect to go through it yourself. People will want to help, ask for it. And then when you get through your disaster, pay it forward.” -Margie Foster When catastrophe strikes, it falls to ordinary citizens to…
Read MoreEncore: Prepared Citizen, Prepared Community— Checklist of Essential Supplies to Extend Your Impact with Joshua Farrell (PART 2)
Encore: Prepared Citizen, Prepared Community— Checklist of Essential Supplies to Extend Your Impact with Joshua Farrell (PART 2) “Be prepared so you can help, because everyone needs everybody in this situation.” –Joshua Farrell Preparation isn’t just about survival— it’s about having the capacity to help others. Our ability to lend a hand can…
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