There were a lot of people who didn t have water for a long time, Mahood said.
In fact, much of the drinking water system operated by the San Lorenzo Valley Water District that serves Mahood s neighborhood, along with some 7,100 other households, was damaged or destroyed.
Over the past five years or so, hundreds of California drinking water systems have suffered similar fates while struggling with the impacts of the state s increasingly intense climate-driven wildfires.
In 2020 alone, 250 water systems were either damaged by fire or were subject to fire-related public safety power shutoffs, according to Stefan Cajina, who leads the Drinking Water Division for the State Water Resources Control Board s North Coast Section.
Lightning Complex fires caused significant damage to Bay Area drinking water infrastructure
By Kiley Russell
A look back at the CZU Lighting Complex Fires
In total, 86,509 acres burned - 135 square miles. 1,490 structures, many of those homes, were destroyed. An additional 140 structures were damaged.
BEN LOMOND, Calif. - As the CZU Lightning Complex fire bore down on Gail Mahood s tree-shrouded Felton neighborhood last August, she gathered what possessions she could and fled. As I drove away and saw how fast the fire was moving, I didn t have much hope for my home, Mahood recalled.
Thankfully, fire crews saved the little community of 20 or so houses, stopping the blaze within a half-mile of Mahood s home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, but the pipes that delivered drinking water from a spring just up the hill were completely destroyed.
hamilton area moving away from populated areas. folks at home are probably not seeing any rain right now. nice generous dose of rainfall. two day rainfall totals, pretty impressive. over an inch in santa rosa and st. had he lena and over an inch at ben lomond mountain. east bay and south bay, very modest rainfall totals, barrel over .2 of an inch and under .2 of an inch at san jose and mountain view. more coming up, more rain on the horizon. dan: the national park service now says it will be at least until the next rainy season before a section of the coastal trail in the presidio is repaired and reopened. a brand-new segment of the trail near lincoln boulevard was closed in december. heather ishimaru is there live tonight. that is right. it was a chain reaction on cars and bicyclists, having has had to move away from the cliff s edge. was eight case of bad engineering or bad timing? the three agencies involved here they just don t know. no taxpayer money was used in the