When the Mountain Fire broke out more than two weeks ago, Samuel and Florentino witnessed the all-too-familiar gray, foggy skies and the smell of smoke as they harvested strawberries in a field of ‘Oxnard.
The men were more than 25 miles from the fire, but a combination of high winds and smoke was enough to pollute the air. Although they wore N95 masks, they were only able to work for about two hours before being sent home due to deteriorating air quality.
The men provided only their first names to the Times, citing job security concerns.
This is not the first time a forest fire has prevented workers from earning a living.
Samuel said he experienced a similar episode while picking fruit in Ventura County during the Thomas Fire in 2017-2018.
“The smoke affected me so much that I had to be taken to hospital because I was having trouble breathing. I felt like I couldn’t breathe,” he said.
The nearly 20,000-acre mountain fire was 98% contained as of Tuesday and has already destroyed 240 structures, damaged 125 others and burned about 3,000 acres of farmland.
Another problem caused by the fire is lost wages for farmworkers on Ventura County fruit and vegetable farms.
Samuel and Florentino lost two full days of pay, putting a strain on them financially.
“Who can earn money to allow you to pay for everything you need to live if not you,” Samuel said.
Ventura County officials are gathering information and resources for residents and farmers who have lost property or suffered damage, but there is no financial safety net for field workers because of their status of undocumented immigration, according to local nonprofit groups.
Preliminary findings estimate agricultural losses from the fire, which burned avocado, citrus, raspberry and other fields as well as pastures, at more than $7 million, said Korinne Bell, Ventura County Agricultural Commissioner.
The majority of farms in Ventura County are made up of small producers who may not have crop insurance or are underinsured because fire coverage is not available for all farms. California’s basic fire insurance program is limited to coverage of agricultural structures and is prohibitively expensive, said Maureen McGuire, executive director of the Ventura County Farm Bureau.
“People are really scared and wondering whether or not they’re going to go back to farming,” McGuire said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture operates natural disaster relief programs for eligible farmers that aim to help repair damage to farmland, provide financial assistance, or offer emergency loans, depending of their situation.
Even with some form of disaster relief, Bell said the loss of land, crops and infrastructure, such as sprinkler heads, valves, pipe fittings and pipes, can set back a farmer of about six years or more.
The effect on field workers can also be devastating.
Without crops to harvest, more than 42,000 farm workers in Ventura County go without pay during such disasters, said Primitiva Hernández, executive director of 805 Undocufund, a joint effort of immigrant aid organizations in Ventura and of Santa Barbara.
Three days after the fire started, 805 Undocufund launched a needs assessment of field workers and domestic workers affected by the Mountain Fire.
More than 2,800 people responded Thursday, 91% of which came from field workers. Of all responses, 72% said they lost wages due to poor air quality or school closures that forced them to leave work to pick up their children, and 14% were evacuated from their home.
The organization raised $150,000 to provide each of the 300 evacuated households or farmworkers who lost their wages with $500 in financial assistance, “which is not even close to the level of need,” Hernández said.
On average, an undocumented worker earns about $16 an hour, according to the California Immigrant Data Portal. A study on the economic contribution of undocumented workers in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties found that 20 percent of Ventura County immigrants live below the poverty line.
Unlike U.S. citizens or green card holders, undocumented farmworkers are not eligible for federal unemployment or disaster benefits.
“They [can’t] not to allow oneself [to] work, even in incredibly dangerous situations,” said Lucas Zucker, co-executive director of Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy.
Hernández said he learned from the 805 Undocfund needs assessment that some farmworkers were told by their employers that it was optional for them to work the three days after the fire started. Workers, however, were not given any information about air quality, health risks or protective measures to help them make an informed decision for themselves, she said.
Some sites, including that of Samuel and Florentino, provided them with masks and a paper to sign, acknowledging that they had received a face covering.
Working with a face mask is difficult and slows down his usual pace, Florentino said. “The mask doesn’t fit properly, falls off and sometimes the smoke still seems to come through,” he said.
Men feel that they cannot miss a day of work. “It doesn’t matter if there’s a fire or a storm,” because without pay they won’t be able to pay rent, utilities, child care, food, and other basic necessities, and then “we’ll be removed from our homes if we can’t pay our bills,” Samuel said. “Even if we do not want to work in these conditions, your [financial] needed, it pushes you to continue working.
In September, Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed Senate Bill 227, which would have created an unemployment insurance-like program for undocumented workers.
During the first two days of the Mountain Fire, the worst days for air quality, advocacy groups, the county agricultural commissioner and the Ventura County Farm Bureau gave many farm workers in N95 masks.
But Florentino and Samuel said there was still a lack of support to help them recover their lost wages.
“I want people to understand where the help is going and where it is still needed,” Florentino said.
“I think a boss should take care of himself [employees] so that his people can continue to work for him, because if he does not support his people, he will lose his harvest,” he said.
