By Mauri Shuler
(Photo by Frank Schulenburg)
Bill Hahn, 84, brought his wife, Patsy, home from the hospital to their home in Calistoga on Tuesday night before the fires came. Patsy, who had fallen, was released with bruises and a neck brace. They went to sleep and then were awakened by banging on the door at 1 a.m. They were told to evacuate immediately. Read more
By Jim Burns
Erika Cunningham, right, is comforted by two Red Cross workers at a shelter in Santa Rosa.
Like many Santa Rosa residents, Erika Cunningham was initially disoriented by the “reverse 9-1-1” phone call that awakened her from a deep sleep in the early morning hours of October 9. Standing in her kitchen moments later, she was trying to make sense of the phone message, which she had only partially heard. Read more
By Karina Duetch
(Photo by Marko Kokic / Finley Community Center, Red Cross Shelter, Santa Rosa, California)
Maggie Y. was still up on the evening of Sunday, October 8, when she heard strong winds outside. Thinking there must be a thunderstorm in the area causing such strong winds, Maggie stepped outside to secure her lawn furniture. When she did not see rain, she reentered her home, which almost immediately lost power. A few moments later, her home’s smoke alarm began to sound. The piercing sound was the first indication she received that made her think it might be time to get out of her home. It seemed as if the fires that were quickly consuming the mountainside of Santa Rosa were also out-running the local government’s ability to warn residents to evacuate. Read more
By Jim Burns
Luana Cobb and her son, Daniel, take a break in the cafeteria at a Red Cross shelter in Santa Rosa.
Sitting in an American Red Cross Shelter three long days after a fast-moving wildfire forced them to flee their Santa Rosa mobile home, Luana Cobb and her son Daniel were slowly coming to grips with their new reality on Wednesday. Read more
By Jim Burns
Sam and Mickie Orchard are shown inside a Red Cross shelter in Santa Rosa.
Sam and Mickie Orchard had their bags packed on a Sunday night in October, prepared to leave their Santa Rosa home the next day for a vacation in Palm Springs. Instead, shortly after 2 a.m. on that Monday, October 9, the couple took an unplanned trip to a shelter the American Red Cross opened at the Finley Community Center in town. Read more
By Tina Doty, volunteer contributor, American Red Cross (Hawaii)
It was an ordinary trip from Honolulu to our Napa Valley home located on Howell Mountain above a small town named Angwin on Saturday, September 19th. Little did my husband and I know that one of the most destructive wildfires in the area was about to take hold on the other side of the mountain.
I remember looking out my window at the vineyards surrounding our house and noticing the wind had picked up. I got an ominous feeling in the pit of my stomach. By the next morning, my sister-in-law, who lived in Calistoga, called to inform me that many people she knew living in Middletown had lost their homes and beloved pets. Eventually, the number grew to 1,000 homes and over 100 square miles burned.
I hastily made my way to the Red Cross shelter located at the Calistoga fairgrounds to offer my assistance. I was introduced to Pat Morales, a Red Cross Volunteer from the Greater Northern California Chapter, who was amazed I was a Red Cross volunteer from Oahu. He quickly set me up with a Red Cross vest, hat, and t-shirt and put me to work.
As I made my way into the cafeteria, I saw people sitting at tables, some eating, some not, others staring into space, or their heads hung low. One woman was busy nursing her young infant, and children were occupied in a corner with coloring books and related activities. “Gosh”, I thought, “Where do I start?”
I saw people covered in soot, a look of shock, despair, and hopelessness etched upon their faces. Others sat on cots outside with their pets, mostly dogs. Larger animals such as horses and llamas were in a nearby field. Calistoga residents made sure all animals were provided water and food.
I spoke with several people who told horror stories of barely making it out alive with what little belongings or pets they could. Many people only had the clothing on their backs. One man mentioned that he could not start his car because he realized that he was holding his house keys then turned around to see his house burning. He walked out of the area and eventually made it to the shelter. A woman came into the shelter crying and stated, “What do I do now? Everything’s gone!” The Red Cross offered shelter, food, and emotional support.
Other people in the shelter told stories of getting in their vehicles with family members and speeding through fireballs. Many houses were completely destroyed and turned to piles of ash or unrecognizable debris. One woman came up to me at the shelter to tearfully announce that she learned her house was still standing, at least for now. I gave her a big hug.
The residents of Calistoga responded with an outpour of donations which included food, pet food, clothing, and most of all much needed support. Residents from as far away as Marin County responded with various donations including rooms for people and their pets. A notification board was set-up to inform about other resources available.
I realized that that this was my very first large scale community disaster as a Red Cross volunteer. Kudos goes out to the many area fire fighters who are still fighting the blaze. We were lucky that our house was unaffected. Although I was definitely not anticipating this terrible event, I took away from it that even with all the global problems taking place around us, human caring and compassion still rules.
I am very proud to be a Red Cross volunteer.
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