Months after the fire, Brookdale is still feeling the postal problem

BROOKDALE, Calif. (KION-TV) --Four months after a fire that tore through an apartment above the Brookdale Post Office, people living in Brookdale are still feeling the aftermath.

The blaze, which broke out in December, damaged the apartment complex located directly above the town’s only post office.

As a result, the post office was forced to shut down, cutting off local mail services and forcing residents to travel to Boulder Creek to retrieve their mail.

"It was very frightening when it burned down. And it has been a huge inconvenience for our community," Amber White said.

Since the fire, people living in Brookdale have had to travel to Boulder Creek to pick up and drop off mail.

For many the inconvenience is more than just a hassle.

"We don't get street delivery. We can't. It doesn't exist," Amber White said. "So many people who live in Brookdale are used to walking or don't have a vehicle or whatever. It is a huge inconvenience to come to Boulder Creek," said.

"It's hard for me right now because my car is not working," Dan, who also lives in Brookdale, said. "So I either got to take a bus or get somebody driving."

According to the United States Postal Service (USPS), the Brookdale post office will remain closed until the building is deemed safe. USPS officials say they are working with the leaseholder to find a solution.

"I worry about people who are elderly or don't drive who need to take the bus now to get their mail," Melissa Ergo said.

The temporary fix, using the Boulder Creek post office just isn’t cutting it for many especially given the limited hours and lack of home delivery options.

"It seems like nothing has happened," Ergo said. "This building has been sitting here for like four months, and so I think we're all curious."

At one point, there was talk of temporarily relocating mail services to the historic Brookdale Lodge.

"They floated the idea of putting it in the Brookdale Lodge, the post office, and I don't know what came of that," White said. "But a lot of people really thought that was a good idea, and some people didn't, but at least it's a central place."

When contacted, the Brookdale Lodge confirmed that using their space for a temporary post office was only an idea and nothing has been finalized.

"This is a historic building, and it would be really cool to see it restored and operating again," Melissa Ergo said.

For now, there’s no clear timeline on when or if the Brookdale Post Office will reopen.