San Miguel Produce Inc. has resumed full operations following the devastating Thomas Fire that broke out in early December 2017. Recent winter rain to the Ventura County area caused flash flooding, resulting in mudslides to the recent burn areas.
The Thomas Fire started in Santa Paula Dec. 4 and spread throughout Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. This fire has become the largest in modern California history, burning over 280,000 acres and destroying 1,063 structures, with an additional 280 damaged. At it’s height, over 8,500 firefighters mobilized to fight the flames which forced over 104,000 residents to evacuate.
During the fire, San Miguel Produce’s main concern was the health and safety of its employees. With fields throughout Ventura County, weather conditions were closely monitored to insure employee safety. In addition, all employees, were provide N95 masks to protect from poor air quality.
While San Miguel Produce did not lose fields to the fire, the conditions caused some delays in harvesting and processing. Road closures prevented access to fields near the burn areas and the strong Santa Ana winds brought additional quality damage and ash to the crops. This resulted in earlier-than-expected harvests from new fields.
“Typically we see Santa Ana winds blow for two or three days, these strong winds lasted nearly 10 days,†Roy Nishimori, chief executive officer at San Miguel Produce stated. “I have been farming over 40 years in Ventura County and have not seen anything like this before.â€
The heavy winds and fire near major power lines also caused intermittent power outages to the Oxnard offices and processing facility, resulting in minor additional delays.
On Jan. 9, heavy rainfall triggered severe mudslides in Montecito (Santa Barbara County), which was recently burned by the Thomas Fire. The local freeway remains closed, as mud and debris cover the roads. This closure has prevented a few San Miguel employees from coming to work, but has fortunately not affected any operations.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families, pets, farms/orchards and livestock affected by the recent wildfires and mudslides,†said Jan Berk, chief operating officer at San Miguel Produce. “We want to thank all the first responders who have worked relentlessly to help keep our community safe. To all those affected across Southern California, our hearts are with you.â€