2019 April

Debris Removal | Short vacation | Solar PV

To-Do List

Debris Removal

Navigate Recovery

Short vacation

Power / Solar PV

Navigate process of getting a Building permit

Still not done

Debris Removal

Electricity

Water / Well

LA County – Debris removal certification

LA County – Debris removal certification

Burned rubble – here it all goes

We are at the 6 month mark after the fire.

What was built in 1969 – 1971 and survived the ’93 fire, we moved into in 2011, we lovingly restored and refurbished it, and it burned to the ground in the Woolsey Fire on November 9, 2018.

All that was left was removed in 4 days.

Matthias did manage to rescue a few family heirloom pieces of pottery poking out from the jaws of the debris removal equipment before the rest of the rubble was hauled away.

Short vacation

We took a short trip into the Sierras, which was such a welcome respite. Even with water pipes and heat malfunctioning, it was so great to be in a home on our own, with all the trees and to show our son and dogs snow for the first time! Our deep thanks to Diane’s brother and his family for allowing us to stay in their vacation home, where we restored our souls for a couple of precious days.

Solar PV

6.7 kW of Solar PV

Thanks to a kind donation from our friends and colleagues Tom Thompson and Tosho Galitev, we now have 26 solar panels totaling 6.7 kW!

Now the next challenge will be permits. Although we have a lot of bare acreage that no longer has tree shade, ground mounted panels will require a California Coastal Commission permit that will likely take a couple years. If we can put them on a structure, we will need another permit form the Building department. It is easier to burn fossil fuels by hooking up a gas or diesel generator than to create clean energy, alas. But we remain determined.