Latest news with #GrizzlyFlats
CBS News
2 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Grizzly Flats man helping neighbors rebuild using burned Caldor Fire trees
On Aug. 14, 2021, a cloud of smoke rose over El Dorado County. Within hours, strong winds and dry conditions transformed that plume into a raging firestorm. The Caldor Fire would go on to burn more than 221,000 acres, level much of Grizzly Flats, and leave hundreds of families without homes, some without insurance or any clear path to rebuild. Matt Nunley remembers the day he returned to see the damage. He braced himself for the worst. "It's amazing our house did make it. I wasn't expecting that when we came back," Nunley said. Against all odds, his home was still standing, while both of his next-door neighbors lost everything. That luck became the driving force behind a mission he's been on for the past four years: helping his community get back on its feet. Before the fire, Nunley had spent 35 years working as a software engineer. Construction wasn't part of his skill set, but he saw a resource all around him: wood from the countless trees the fire had knocked down. "We still had piles of logs and I thought, one resource this community has is wood. So it was kind of a no-brainer to buy a mill, learn how to use it, and start building," he said. Nunley retired two years after the fire and now works full-time turning those burned trees into usable lumber. He's built sheds to help displaced families store belongings they can't keep in temporary RVs or trailers, and he lends a hand wherever construction help is needed. "I can't handle seeing my neighbors in RVs," Nunley said. "You just have to do something." The rebuilding process in Grizzly Flats has been slow. Many residents are still living in temporary housing, and some lost homes without insurance, making recovery even harder. Nunley says his work isn't done and won't be for years to come. "We're seeing what we can do. It's been a long four years, it really has," he said. His next big goal is building a community center, a place where residents can gather, share resources, and support each other through the ongoing recovery. "I may not have lost my house in the Caldor Fire," Nunley said, "but I consider everyone's recovery part of my own story."
CBS News
3 days ago
- General
- CBS News
Four years after Caldor Fire, first home rebuild under Title 25 program nears completion in Grizzly Flats
Nearly four years after the Caldor Fire wiped out most of Grizzly Flats, the first home under El Dorado County's new rebuilding program is finally taking shape, offering a powerful symbol of hope for a community still struggling to recover. Mac MacNeil and Cathie Adams lost their home in the fire that sparked on Aug. 14, 2021, the day the wildfire sparked and eventually burned more than 221,000 acres. The flames leveled much of their town, leaving hundreds of residents homeless, some without insurance. "When you look around, you don't see the town. It's all gone," MacNeil said. For Adams, the loss became real when she saw a video of the neighboring church they shared a property line with. It was gone and so was their home. Now, their property is buzzing with construction crews. Their new house is being built under the county's Title 25 Limited Density Owner-Built Rural Dwelling Ordinance, a program launched last year to waive certain fees and relax building regulations for smaller homes in disaster-hit areas. The effort is being led by Non-Profit Construction Corporation, founded by Caleb Armstrong, who partnered with local businesses to donate labor and materials. "Coming from so little, I just couldn't see it happen for them. They needed help," Armstrong said. Initially, MacNeil admits, they doubted Armstrong could pull it off. "We thought, poor Caleb is so naive, he'll never get through all this. He did it. He is a saint," he said. The county recently extended the Title 25 program through June 2027 to help other survivors still struggling to rebuild. Armstrong says Mac and Cathie's home should be finished within a month, a milestone for the couple, and a sign that recovery is still possible for Grizzly Flats.
