MIDDLETOWN >> Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes in the Lower Lake area due to the massive Rocky Fire and most of them have found shelter with relatives, friends or at motels. But for the Rocky Fire evacuees with no other place to go, Middletown High School (MHS) is their new temporary home.
The fire started around 4 p.m. Wednesday and in less than an hour, some residents along the Morgan Valley Road corridor decided to leave even though they had not received an evacuation order.
John Wilson was in his yard Wednesday when he noticed smoke in the nearby hills. It appeared to be a small fire so he didn’t think much about it. But in the next few minutes, the fire exploded, causing Wilson’s grandmother to call 911.
“The fire seemed kind of close so we decided to get out of there,” Wilson said. “As we were driving out, we saw the first fire trucks arrive.”
Wilson left his home in the area of Rocky Creek and Morgan Valley roads at about 6 p.m. Wednesday with his grandmother and a friend, taking only the clothes they were wearing.
“We didn’t take anything. We even left my grandmother’s cat,” Wilson said. “We didn’t think the fire was going to get that bad.”
As of Thursday night, Wilson said he had no idea if his house had survived the conflagration.
Initially, two evacuation sites were opened Wednesday night: one at the Highlands Senior Center in Clearlake and the second at MHS. Even though the Clearlake location had about 30 overnight guests, the American Red Cross decided to close it, leaving only the high school open on Thursday.
As of 9 p.m. Thursday, about 15 people had registered with disaster relief volunteers at MHS but more were expected to come in as the night wore on.
Beth Planer of Clearlake evacuated her home on Boyles Road Wednesday night with her 13-year-old daughter, Kimberly Williams, their cat and two mixed husky dogs. They stayed in the Clearlake evacuation center Wednesday night but found it closed when they returned Thursday.
So they came to MHS, where pets are allowed to be kept outside but not in the multi-purpose room where food services was set up, and the gymnasium, where dozens of cots were set up for overnight guests. The multi-purpose room also served as the social hub, where evacuees gathered to eat, drink, and talk about the fire.
The mood among evacuees at the shelter was mostly upbeat, despite worries about their properties. The school multi-purpose room served at the social center, with evacuees sitting alone or in groups sharing fire and other stories.
“We’re grateful that animals are allowed, even if outside,” Planer said Thursday night. “It’s very reassuring to have your animals and kids with you.”
Like many of the evacuees, Planer was worried about her house and upset by the lack of news about what homes had burned.
“I’m literally scared to death,” Planer said. “Tonight, I’m panicky.”
Planer left home with family photographs, her birth certificate and an urn with her mother’s ashes.
David Brookins and his wife, Rosemary, were in their home at River View Drive and Mustang Court when a Lake County Sheriff’s deputy came by late Wednesday afternoon and told them they had to leave immediately.
“I used to be a fire crew supervisor so when they told me to evacuate, I decided to follow them,” David Brookins said.
They left in a hurry, leaving behind their outdoor cat and just about everything else.
“We didn’t have time to do much thinking,” Rosemary Brookins said. “We didn’t think about bringing photos or much of anything.”
They left with only sleeping bags, bedding and a few important documents.
The MHS shelter is a joint effort by the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and the Community & Disaster Response Team (CDRT) from Napa County. In addition to overnight accommodations and toiletries, the site offers hot meals and showers.
“We set up this shelter in the middle of the night Wednesday but word didn’t get out until (Thursday) morning,” said CDRT Director Troy Clemons of Sebastapol.
The evacuation site can accommodate 50 people and will remain open as long as there is a need, Clemons said. It’s staffed by about a dozen volunteers.
