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With last week’s winter storm behind us, damage assessments are underway. KAZU News spoke with some of the people who predicted what could happen with a rain storm of this kind to see if their fears came to fruition.
After the Dolan Fire scorched almost 125,000 acres in the Big Sur area, a team was called in to see how the landscape would react under heavy rainfall. The team studied hydrology, geology, soils and much more and came up with predictions.
“So indeed, what we thought could happen, did happen,” said Kevin Cooper, a retired U.S. Forest Service Biologist. He led the team that looked into these post-fire hazards.
Vermont Man Charged in Eight Arsons Arrested by Federal Agents January 28, 2021
A Stowe man charged in eight arsons that police say caused more than $1.5 million in damage to the resort community has been arrested by federal agents.
Jeffrey Nolan, 62, made his initial appearance in federal court on Monday on a complaint of malicious damage or destruction, by means of fire, of property used in or affecting interstate commerce, federal prosecutors said. He was held pending further proceedings. The federal government plans to seek formal federal charges before a grand jury.
A series of fires over more than five years in Stowe has caused millions of dollars in damages to structures, displaced several people from jobs, endangered the lives of residents and first responders and created an atmosphere of anxiety for the town’s residents, the office of the U.S. attorney said.
Judge Nancy Waples authorized a pre-trial release from jail for Nolan, determining he was not a risk to skip town before future hearings.
Among the conditions of release, Judge Waples ordered a sanity screening, a strict curfew, and said the suspect cannot own any fire-starting materials. I just couldn t sleep, said Rick Rothammer of Stowe Cable, describing how he would make late-night trips to check on the tv, internet, and phone provider s buildings after a pair of fires.
The first fire that affected Rothammer and his coworkers was in August 2020, and the second was last week.
The Jan. 7 blaze was caught on camera.