T H E H O M E TO W N N E W S PA P E R F O R M E N LO PA R K , AT H E RTO N , P O RTO L A VA L L E Y A N D W O O D S I D E
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Magali Gauthier
Andy Kerr, the co-owner of Alice’s Restaurant in Woodside, chats with a group of firefighters in front of the Loma Mar Store after offering them pastries on Aug. 25. Kerr has been making daily rounds delivering food to first responders and residents who haven’t evacuated from the CZU August Lightning Complex fire zone.
Behind the lines of the CZU August Lightning fires Andy Kerr of Alice’s Restaurant delivers food to first responders and evacuation holdouts By Kate Bradshaw Almanac Staff Writer
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ith wildfire smoke blanketing the Santa Cruz Mountains in a hazy fog, Andy Kerr, co-owner of Alice’s Restaurant, loads up his truck three times a day and ventures beyond the road closure
signs near his restaurant to deliver food to people who need it. On Sunday morning, Almanac reporter Kate Bradshaw went with him behind the lines of the CZU August Lighting Complex fires as he brought breakfast burritos to volunteers stationed at the La Honda Fire Station, checked on La Honda
residents who have chosen to stay behind rather than evacuate their homes, and ventured through the smoke-choked and winding roads to Pescadero to bring provisions to coastside firefighters. Almanac visual journalist Magali Gauthier joined Kerr on Tuesday. Kerr and his brother Jamie
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both used to be volunteer firefighters with the Skylonda fire station, just down the street from Alice’s. He described the wildfires as apocalyptic, agreeing with what fire officials have been saying over the past week: These fires are unprecedented. “I was born and raised here and I’ve never seen anything like
this. This is 10 times worse than anything I’ve ever seen,” he said. As of press time Wednesday, the fires had burned 80,137 acres and were 19% contained. (See the story on Page 9 for more information.) Kerr’s first stop was the La See BEHIND FIRE LINES, page 18
VIEWPOINT 19 | ARTS 20 | FOOD 21
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