KBRT’s transmitter chief engineer is recovering slowly from three cracked ribs and a “head-to-toe case of poison oak” after last week’s Catalina Island fire, according to the CGC Communicator newsletter.

Agresta’s poison oak was apparently from oak soot carried by the fire. “One person who saw Bill last week described him as a ‘blistered mess’ - yet Bill is adamant about carrying on his day-to-day activities at the remote site, where life, even in the best of times, is not easy,” CGC reported about the Crawford Broadcasting employee.

The fire on Catalina Island in California is under investigation.

“Bill reports that day-to-day operations at the transmitter plant are currently difficult at best,” CGC reported. “The station is now without utility power, program lines and phone service. KBRT is relying on generator power and a satellite audio feed. For a brief period of time, the station was operated at half power to conserve fuel.”

According to the local Chamber of Commerce Web site, the fire burned 4,750 acres and early damage estimates were $11.5 million. Spectacular photos of the fire are here.