The Sierra Star

September 10, 2017

Nearly 270 people were allowed to return to 135 homes in Cedar Valley Sunday afternoon, after the Railroad Fire forced a Sept. 3 mandatory evacuation of the subdivision.

The subdivision, with one road in and one road out, is off Highway 41 north of Oakhurst.

Only residents of Cedar Valley will be allowed to enter the area during the first 24 hours of the opening. The sheriff department’s checkpoint on Cedar Valley Road is expected to be open to all motorists about noon Monday.

Pete and Robin Buck-Friis built a new 1,600 square-foot, three bedroom, two bath home six years ago on Lakeside Lane next to Lewis Creek. The couple have done a good job creating defensible space around their house.

Pete’s family has owned the property since 1960.

“We had a great fundraising barbeque for our Cedar Valley Fire Department on Sept. 2, and the very next day we had to evacuate because of the fire,” Pete said. “We have a lot of ash to clean up – if we had a wooden shake roof instead of a composite roof, we probably would have lost the house.”
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