We recently received an email and photos from one of our grantees the Tribal Digital Village. The Southern California Tribal Digital Village is a collaborative of eighteen recognized Indian tribes and run one of the largest wireless deployments in California.

As you can tell from the photos, their wireless antennas and equipment also happened situated in the fire zone, namely the Poomacha Fire.

Matt Rantanen writes:

So Cal Wildfire Vs. Wireless Radio Tower?

You can probably guess who wins…

This is what happens to a wireless radio tower that meets 75 mph wind blowing Super Hot CA Wildfire.

Solar Panels, Batteries, 4 different types of antenna and radios…

We’re rebuilding here at the Tribal Digital Village.

Just thought you would like to see what that looks like.

Matt and his team are busy figuring out how to rebuild the network from the ashes of the fires.

We’re trying to patch the network on the burned tower sections with alternate equipment from here and there to make it function temporarily.

We’re approaching the Pauma Reservation to get approval to move it 100 yards up the hill in elevation to a better vantage point and rebuild bigger and stronger.