CZU Lightning Complex Fire
On August 16th, 2020 an unprecedented lightning storm ignited hundreds of fires across the state of California. By August 18th, several of these fires had merged into a massive and fast-spreading wildfire that presented an imminent threat to the San Lorenzo Valley. Over the next two days, the entire valley was evacuated, and the San Lorenzo Valley Water District found itself suddenly in the spotlight both because of the essential role of water in fighting the fire and because of the impact of the fire on the District’s water-delivery infrastructure.
Inevitably, this also led to a variety of public reactions and misunderstandings. FSLVW attempts to address these in the following two very different articles, each of which seeks to promote a more compassionate and accurate understanding of this traumatic wildfire, its relation to our water supply, and the role of the Water District.
Understanding the SLVWD Response to the CZU Lightning Complex Fire