West Point made it

We lost power and experienced mandatory evacuation for a week. Now survivors stand around our town feeling stunned that the place wasn’t demolished by the flames.

The Butte fire ferociously erupted three weeks ago, and over 500 Calaveras county homes were burned to the ground not far from West Point.  Some of us can’t believe we’re so lucky.

Thanks to the magnificent efforts of firefighters and all the heavy equipment operators involved with directly saving our town by scouring protective boundaries, we still have our homes.

It’s a feeling not unlike being pulled up by the roots.  I’m not a native to this place, but after twelve years, I feel like I’m part of the town.  It’s a simple place, and we residents like it that way.  Other parts of Calaveras county are more populated, and have money.  Take a look at this town and you know we’re barely getting by with the dough.  People become more of a resource than other places because we have to rely on each other.

I don’t know why we were so lucky to survive, but we did, and those of us who live here will never forget how close we came to losing everything.