Flooding concerns on rise for Valley Fire victims

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. (KTVU) - Lake County had more than its share of fires this year. Now there are other looming threats with the expected wet winter.

"Mudslides," said Valley Fire victim Justin Olson as he stood in the rain. "They've planted lots of grass, but I really don't think it's going to have strong enough roots by the time. Well, the rain's already here!"

If you drive along Highway 175 outside of Middletown, you'll see charred hillsides dotted with a green carpet of hydroseed. It's an effort to prevent erosion and mudslides in a hard rain.

"Get as much equipment on the ground as soon as we can try and beat the rain, but we're working in the rain," explained Dennis Planje, a contractor with Cal Recycle. "Right now we haven't had much. We leave the roots, we leave the rock, we work with the soil as best we can."

Crews working for Planje aren't just watching for erosion, they're clearing burned out properties of toxic material.

"There's asbestos, there's chemicals, other types of materials in the ground," Planje explained. His crews work in white suits to protect themselves for toxic waste.

"And when we're gone we actually come back and certify the soil so none of those materials are still there for the owner," said Planje, who a former firefighter. "I've fought a lot of fires and these people have a lot of heart."

The clean-up is expected to be finished by spring. The rebuilding will take much longer.

"For all of it to be gone is very sad," Olson said as he helped a friend salvage items on his burned property. "Nobody has it easy."