HIDDEN VALLEY LAKE >> Nearly five months after the first displaced Valley Fire refugees arrived at the Hidden Valley Lake Campground, the last two people from a group that once numbered around 130 have left.
Most of the fire refugees and others homeless people had left the campground by early December 2015 but two trailers remained with five people. One of the travel trailers and it’s three occupants left in January but one trailer remained, despite receiving several additional notices to leave and several deadlines to leave that came and passed.
But faced with the possibility of having legal action taken against them, the last two of the refugees recently left the campground that is owned and operated by the Hidden Valley Lake Association (HVLA).
Even up to the end, the couple in the last trailer did not want to leave because they did not know where they would go, said Bob Broyer, HVLA general manager.
“The ending was very peaceful and no legal action was necessary,” Broyer said.
A drive through the camp sites late Thursday afternoon found two people with bikes eating on a picnic table while nearby, several children rode bicycles and scooters. But for the first time since late September, there were no tents, travel trailers or RVs in the campground.
Broyer said the campground is officially closed for the winter because, “It needs a lot of work” after months of heavy use. The work includes repainting and repairing fixtures along with repairing facilities recently damaged by vandals, unrelated to Valley Fire campers.
No camping or other uses are permitted in the campground while it is closed indefinitely. With the fire victims and other non-fire related campers gone, Broyer said, “Being back to normal is gratifying.”
Most of the former, temporary residents of the campground residents were among the thousands of people displaced by the devastating Valley Fire that destroyed nearly 1,300 homes and 27 multi-family structures, including apartment buildings, in September.
Many of the camp residents were former renters who lost their rental houses, mobile homes or apartments to the Valley Fire. They came primarily from Middletown, Cobb and Hidden Valley Lake. They also had low or fixed incomes and were unable to afford monthly rent of more than $750.
The campground is owned by the HVLA and abuts Gallagher Creek, a tributary of Putah Creek. HVLA officials say the campground is in an official flood plain and were concerned that water would overrun the campground if the creek reach flood stage, which has not yet happened this winter.
Broyer said the HVLA provided essential services to the campground as long as it was occupied and that normal campground fees for the fire refugees were waived.
Most of the refugees interviewed in the past five months have expressed gratitude to the HVLA and the people of Hidden Valley Lakes for their help that included cash, food (including prepared meals), water, clothing and gift cards donated by the community.
