SYLMAR, Calif. - The three major fires that raged across Southern California were nearly 100% contained at press time, leaving credit unions with the unpleasant task of identifying which members and employees had lost their homes.
In this bedroom community north of Los Angeles, Olive View Employees CU nearly went up in flames but was saved by the quick actions of a policeman.
"We almost burned down," Barbara Felix, CEO of the $30-million credit union, told Credit Union Journal. "We are on the campus of Olive View Hospital. The whole area around us was devastated. One freeway off ramp away was a mobile home park that lost nearly 500 homes."
Felix said the credit union is in the back part of the Olive View UCLA Medical Center campus, in a bungalow, up against foothills. "The building next to me is fine, but the bungalow catercorner to ours was destroyed. Our building actually caught on fire-the window next to my desk in my office is shattered from the heat of a bush outside that caught on fire. It is boarded up."
A wooden door that goes to the CU's basement also caught fire. Felix said a policeman saw the flames and hit the door with an axe. "Otherwise the building would have gone up," she said.
OVECU will be operating on generators for approximately six months because its power plant burned down. A repossessed car also burned.
In other fire-related news:
* Two large credit unions with locations near all three fire zones-Kinecta CU and Wescom CU-reported all branches survived. Kinecta CU spokeswoman Laura Oberhelman said only one member loss had been reported, near Santa Barbara, with that member losing their home, a 1966 Corvette and a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Wescom CU said it has an emergency loan program ready to help any affected members.
* Orange County's CU, Santa Ana, said no members had contacted the CU with any special needs. John Tierney, facilities manager, said all employees emerged unscathed, though the grand opening celebration of OCCU's branch in Yorba Linda had to be cut short, with sandwiches and water from the opening redirected to an evacuation center.
* SchoolsFirst FCU, Santa Ana, said two members were "affected" by the fires.
* American First CU, La Habra, reported no damage to its branches or its employees' homes and is alerting members to its "American First Aid Program."
* Jac La Tour, manager of communications with Evangelical Christian CU in Brea, said there has been a lot t of smoke and ash, but no damage.
* At Union Oil Santa Fe Springs ECU in Brea, "The fire was on the other side of the 57 Freeway," said Irene Soles, CEO of the $4.9-million CU. "I was told one member has lost a home. It is the only one we know about so far. We did not hold the mortgage." It has not heard from any other members.
* Martha Dominguez, director of marketing for $171-million South Western FCU, La Habra, reported no damage to members, employees' homes.
* Kristina Carrell, loan representative for $35-million Santa Barbara County FCU, said, "We are only aware of one member's loss. We have been going through the list of addresses [of destroyed homes published in a local newspaper] and haven't found any others. The member said his family was OK and he had insurance." SBC FCU did not hold the mortgage on the lost house, she added.
* Roy McLaughlin, CEO of Santa Barbara Teachers FCU, said one member was confirmed to have lost a house.
