Hundreds wait for power to be restored in local mountain communities

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- The skies have cleared, but the struggle continues for residents who are without power and stuck in their homes in our mountain communities.

Access to roads is improving, but many remain without power and are relying on generators, now running low on fuel.

"You got trees that are down, wires that are down," explained Benjamin Wright, Bass Lake resident.

Blizzard like conditions have come and gone, and now residents are struggling with the aftermath of having to free themselves from their homes.

"We're trying to get people out, up here on Ridgeline at Bass Lake. They've been stuck up here for about six days now, there starting run out of propane now, no power," said Louis Greenwood with Greenwood Enterprises, Heating and Ari Conditioning.

Side streets are one of the big problems because they're not getting plowed like the main roads, leaving some stuck. And we're told what's usually a ten-minute walk to the nearest store - is taking some more than 40 minutes due to deep snow.

"My neighbors, they're out of propane, they are in their 90s, 91, 96, 95, 98. We got the snow cats here yesterday and got them evacuated out."

And we experienced the neighborhood comradery first-hand, Lewis Greenwood waved our ABC30 crew down after the bobcat he was using to clear the road needed a jump start.

"We've got about 4 feet I would say, a solid 4 feet of very wet snow, so it's been tough for any equipment to go anywhere, cars to pass or do anything," said Greenwood.

Greenwood hopes to have this roadway cleared by end of day to get more people out.

"As soon as we get up there they want out, they just get out immediately," added Greenwood.

"You can't park anywhere, you can't even get in, I got to go back and I'm going to have to shovel 10-12 feet on the carport so I can get in," explained Wright.

According to PG&E's website, some homes could have power as early as Friday, while hundreds still wait on an announcement for when they will have electricity again.

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