Pine Ridge Elementary offering support for students after Creek Fire devastates community

AUBERRY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Several school districts are working on getting back on their feet after the Creek Fire displaced thousands of families and left many staff and students without a place to call home.

Driving down Auberry Road, Superintendent Steve Rosa said he was amazed to see Pine Ridge School still standing.

"It was awesome; it was," said Rosa. "It really hurt me to see the bus garage, to see that buses melted, but those are things, what really hurt was when I drove down that ridge and to see that devastation."

Surrounded by destruction, Pine Ridge Elementary is still standing strong.

"There are trees and things, fuel, right behind it," said Rosa. "The air conditioners didn't even melt."

While the school is still standing, the community is still reeling from the destruction.

"Almost 100% of the community is displaced," said Rosa. That includes countless students and staff.

"I'll tell you one thing, this is a super resilient community, a proud community," said Rosa.

Now they're focused on giving students and staff the support they need and eventually getting back to the books.

"Our first Zooms are not about academics, they're reconnects, they're making those connections again," added Rosa.

They'll start with a reconnection week September 28, with the first week of lessons set for the following week. Until that time, they're supporting students as needed.

"Walking kids through the grieving process, identifying where they are in the grieving process," continued Rosa.

Big Creek also had damage to its campus and has started the process of reconnecting with students and teachers.

If you'd like to support the Pine Ridge Community you can email Amy Furrer, at afurrer@prsrattlers.org or visit pineridge.k12.ca.us.