Evacuated couple anxious to return to Boulder Creek home

Firefighters and evacuees have been taken aback by the Bear Fire’s punch. Steep terrain and narrow roads are just part of what’s made it so difficult to contain.

“Some of the dangers facing crews is obviously losing your footing, you can
have injuries to your lower extremities, things like that, we also look out
for rolling material uphill,” said Jordan Motta with Cal Fire, “There’s burning material such as logs,
branches, trees that can tumble down the hill, the rocks that have been
loosened by the roots being burnt out, those can tumble down the hill, you
always have people on the lookout.”

Denise Miceli and Todd Zimmerman moved into their home off Boulder Creek Canyon Road just two weeks ago.

“We’re just getting settled and comfortable and happy to be there and, you know, feeling very blessed,” Miceli said.

But that feeling was threatened when fire crews told them they had to leave Monday night.

“We didn’t think it was as bad as it was until we left at 5 o’clock in the morning,” Miceli said, “When we left then I could see all the devastation that was happening and that’s when it really hit me that ‘Oh my gosh this is really bad and we could lose everything.'”

Cal Fire crews did tell Todd and Denise they believe their home is safe but, it’s been a frightening few days.

“[Watching] everything that happened in Napa and those fires you kind of disconnect, Miceli said, You know what can you do and you go on with your life and here we are right in it too it’s like ‘wow’, it’s an amazing feeling.”