Volunteers help Hanover fire evacuees cope with frustrations

After three days of burning, you’d expect that evacuees from the 117 Fire in Hanover would be impatient and frustrated, but volunteers say that’s apparently not the case.

“We believe that a lot of families have not come back yet,” said Susan Konrad, a volunteer. “I’m compiling a list of families as I learn about them. I believe some are with family members, some are in hotels. I think there’s a shock level before the frustration sets in.”

Volunteers are doing what they can to help evacuees — especially those who lost homes in the fire — who are wondering when they can return home, what damage is on their properties and when they can return to a normal routine.

Authorities remind and emphasize to people that the fire zone remains a mandatory evacuation area, but they can’t force people to leave and many have stayed to take care of property and livestock.

Among those who remain is ranch hand Mike Overbay, who is replacing burned fence posts along the boundary of a 30,000-acre spread.

“I don’t think people are so much frustrated as they’re coping with the fickle nature of a fire,” he said. “It doesn’t care where it goes or who it hurts.”

Another volunteer, Cora Simpich, said she shares some of the frustrations felt by evacuees.

“I had a loader that was ready to come in and pit out hot spots, could have kept a whole pasture from burning — but he wasn’t allowed in,” she said. There’s a lot going on, so frustrations do arise. Just appreciate the job that the firemen are doing and all the people that are working with it.”

Evacuees also have a supporter in Kaitlin Keough, who was riding her bicycle through the area.

“I just moved here from Wisconsin so this is all new to me,” she said. “It must be hard to be unable to go home and see what you can salvage. But I’m also in favor of firefighters doing whatever they can, as long as it takes, to get the fire out and keep things safe.”