Lassen Sheriff: Not part of the college evacuee issues Monday night

Plumas News reported earlier this week on the chaotic scene that played out at Lassen Community College on Monday night, Aug. 16, when Plumas County evacuees were told to vacate the evacuation center or face the threat of arrest.

Discussion about the incident ensured during the Plumas County Board of Supervisors meeting on Aug. 17, and Plumas County Sheriff Todd Johns shared some of the details that transpired that night.

Johns mentioned Lassen County Sheriff Dean Growdon, only as it related to Growdon asking Johns for help in evacuating Janesville. Nothing was said that linked Growdon to the Monday night snafu.

The Lassen County Health and Human Services department issued a statement referring to the event on Aug. 18. Plumas News ran the statement in its entirety and an excerpt is included below.

While the statement refers to some Lassen County officials being involved, it doesn’t specify any persons or departments that made the decisions and issued the threats. Since Growdon’s name has been associated with evacuation orders, some people placed the blame on him. Following is a statement from the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office that was issued today, Aug. 19:

“The Lassen County Sheriff’s Office has received many inquiries regarding events that occurred at the Emergency Shelter located at Lassen Community College in Susanville August 16, 2021. The Sheriff’s office did not have a representative present at that location the day of the event and had no knowledge of the events that occurred until after they occurred.

“Lassen Community College falls under the jurisdiction of the Susanville Police Department and they were the responding agency when those events took place. All questions related to police response should be directed to the Susanville Police Department at (530)257-5603.

“All questions related to shelter workers and management should be directed to Lassen County Health and Social Services who operate the Emergency Shelter. Their number is (530)251-8128.”

As a reminder, following is a portion of the release supplied by Lassen County Health and Human Services Department on Aug. 18.

“This week, Lassen County faced increased fire activity and evacuations as the fire moved into the Antelope Lake Area. The increased winds resulted in fire activity that could not have been predicted and at a speed that was hard to anticipate. On August 16, 2021, Mandatory orders were issued for parts of Janesville grade. At this point, Lassen County officials reached out to Plumas County for assistance and support to prepare for the immediate threat posed to Janesville and Susanville. Plumas County arranged for buses to come to Lassen County and assist in the transition of Plumas County residents from Lassen Community College to a shelter further away from the evacuation orders.

“Prior to the arrival of the buses, Lassen County staff attempted to assist in the notification of the transition of Plumas County residents to the Plumas County shelter in Portola. The fire continued to grow and the situation in Lassen County intensified as those residents boarded the buses. In the end, they were turned around when the fire crossed Highway 395.

“We would like to acknowledge the situation that occurred at the shelter that night and acknowledge that better preparation, planning, and communication by both Plumas and Lassen County representatives could have taken place. While making decisions in the face of an emergency is never easy, it has and will continue to be our priority to communicate and collaborate with stakeholders and those who will be affected moving forward. Lassen County officials will conduct a comprehensive investigation to gather the facts of what occurred that night and act accordingly to improve our process in the future.”