MIDDLETOWN >> Just because the fire’s out doesn’t mean the firefighters get to go home.
That was evident this weekend as Cal Fire crews spread out across Middletown, not to put out a blaze but to help stunned residents safely sift through the rubble where their homes once stood.
The fire crews were just one of the many teams involved in Middletown last weekend to help victims of the inferno start to heal their hearts and rebuild their homes.
The Cal Fire firefighters were looking for anything that survived the Valley Fire, especially coin collections, gold and silver items and jewelry.
“We’re here to help anyone in need,” said firefighter Hector Bermudez of Cal Fire Santa Clara. “A lot of people have no family or friends to help them.”
Bermudez and other Cal Fire firefighters helped the Fred Walden family Saturday afternoon, meticulously sifting through the debris and ash looking for any memento that may be hidden.
“At the moment, we’re helping people go through the rubble and find things that have emotional value to them,” Bermudez said
The Walden property, on Stewart Street at Callayomi Street, is a complete loss and despite the best efforts of the Cal Fire crews Saturday, little was found that survived the blaze.
“We’re not finding much,” Walden said. Waving a hand at the debris that several weeks ago was his home, he added, “I lived in that house for 40 years and before that, it was my grandmother’s house.”
Walden is staying with relatives in Napa and said he plans to rebuild his house, which was insured.
He evacuated on Saturday, Sept. 12 but returned Tuesday, expecting the entire town to be gone. “I was hoping against hope that my house would be there but I knew there was not much of a chance of that,” he said.
Walden had more than firefighters helping him Saturday: 10 cousins from Napa and Sacramento came to assist their kin, including another cousin who lived across the street from Walden who lost his mobile home to the Valley Fire.
By mid-afternoon Saturday, the only item found was a piece of jade that was part of a bracelet, according to cousin Lonna Fleming of Napa. But the lack of results did not deter her admiration for the extra help.
“God love Cal Fire,” she said as she stood watching firefighters searching through the debris and ash. This was her first time seeing the house since the wildland fire raced through this community of about 1,100 residents. Her initial reaction was, “Thank God everyone is safe and sound.”
The Cal Fire crews from Santa Clara expect to spend this week helping fire victims in Middletown.
“I never experienced my own house burning down, but I know that when we find something that’s meaningful to someone, it’s very rewarding,” Bermudez said. The Cal Fire crews have been out helping Middletown fire victims since Sept. 22.
So far their most rewarding find has been a wife’s wedding ring and her husband’s coin collection amid the remains of the couple’s house. Referring to the couple, Bermudez said, ”They call us family now.”
He acknowledged the thanks, in various forms, that firefighters are receiving in Middletown.
“We definitely feel the support from the community,” he said. “When we are driving by and see people give us the thumbs up or wave, we appreciate it. This is a nice community.”
A few blocks away on Central Park Road, the Lions Club building has been turned into a distribution center that rivals a Costco store. The well-organized center offers free food, bottled water, clothing, shoes, toys, toiletries, bedding and hundreds of other items.
Tents, wheelchairs, furniture, stuffed animals, solar-powered cell phone chargers, baby care items and pet food and supplies are among the items, all donated, that are available at the Lions Club and are free to Middletown, Hidden Valley Lake and Cobb residents with valid identification.
The center is running smoothly now after an early attempt by the American Red Cross to take charge of the local distribution operations in Middletown and at the Moose Lodge evacuation and distribution center in Clearlake Oaks.
When the Red Cross told the Lions Club group not to accept any more donations, the locals refused to comply, according to Karen Jones, director of the center. Another incident happened when the county allegedly confiscated a number of large cargo boxes that had been donated to the Lions Club group.
Despite the two incidents, Jones insists that the Lions Club group has good relations with other disaster relief agencies and government organizations.
“We are working together with all the local agencies,” Jones said Saturday at the distribution center. “Everyone is on the same page.”
The group started with a truckload of supplies from Eureka and after that, the donations have been flowing in with no formal advertising.
“Once our Facebook page was up and we were on other social media sites, the donations poured in, just by word of mouth,” Jones said.
The center plans to close on Oct. 16, although Jones admitted it was a “soft” date. She added that the center was always meant to just get fire victims on their feet.
“When we close, what donations we have left will be given to local charities,” Jones said. “Nothing will be wasted.”
Right now, Jones said the center especially needs furniture and non-perishable food, such as canned goods or boxed pasta.
A few blocks away, during dinner time at the La Parrilla Mexican Grill, customers — some local, some out-of-towners — the conversations among customers at the tables were about the fire and its aftermath.
For the staff of the popular eatery, they feel a personal loss with the destruction of Havy’s Mexican Restaurant on Highway 29 across from the Shell gas station. La Parrilla staff said they all viewed Havy’s as a compatriot rather than a competitor.
“We all feel so sad for everyone at Havy’s,” one server said. “We we friends with the owners and the staff.”
There is no word on whether Havy’s owners plan to rebuild but the staff at La Parrilla hopes it will rise from the ashes.
One disparaging note on Saturday was the presence of out-of-state sales persons and companies — including Sprout Tiny Homes of La Junta, Colorado — hawking their goods and services to still-disoriented fire victims.
Two men, including Sprout’s chief operating officer, Vernon Garrison, were driving around Middletown neighborhoods and approaching owners standing outside their burned-down homes. They were selling tiny modular homes.
Bo Bennett was one of those that the Sprout duo talked to. He said afterwards that he was offended by people trying to take advantage of fire victims, especially while many of them are stilled stunned by their losses.
