Local Troop 55 Boy Scout Carl Frazee unveiled his completed Eagle Scout project on Oct. 2 — a custom sign that indicates the level of fire danger — at the northeast corner of Mark West Springs Road and Old Redwood Highway.
Frazee, Fourth District Supervisor James Gore, CalFire Battalion Chief Marshall Turbeville, the Mark West block captain and others were present at the unveiling of the project.
The alert sign isn’t only an important symbol for Frazee’s transition to an Eagle Scout rank and for his hard work, it is also an important symbol of resilience and preparedness for the community.
“This is more than just awareness. This is a symbol of resilience. It is a symbol of how far a community can come in three years and it is also a symbol of how much more we have to do,” Gore said prior to the unveiling.
The wood for the sign was milled from a redwood tree that burned on Frazee’s property in Wikiup during the 2017 Tubbs Fire. Frazee lost his home that day and his grandmother’s home in upper Mark West also burned to the ground.
“Almost exactly three years ago, the home in Wikiup that I had lived in since I was born, as well as my grandmother’s home, both burned to the ground in the Tubbs firestorm. Since that time, I have watched this community, my family and my friends, pull together to rebuild this Larkfield/Mark West area better than it was before. I am honored to be a small part of this rebuilding process,” Frazee said. “I realize that it takes a village to get a project like this done and I would like to thank a small portion of my village.”
Frazee thanked Andrew Somawang of California Woods for felling and milling the redwood for the sign and for assisting with the concept. He also thanked the Sonoma County Tourism Board for providing the grant for the project, which started in March.
Others helped with the several-month long project as well including Turbeville and Division Chief Fire Marshal of the Northern Sonoma County Fire District Cyndi Foreman. The director of Sonoma County Transportation & Public Works, Johannes Hoevertsz, also provided recommendations and aid.
The sign, which has a colored image that denotes fire danger from low to moderate, high, very high and extreme, was installed with the help of engineer and Sonoma County Public Works engineer and fellow Eagle Scout Clyde Galantine.
Frazee said he hopes the alert sign will help inform and protect the Mark West and Larkfield communities for years to come.
