Your Red Cross Update

By Eric Maldonado, volunteer contributor, American Red Cross

As Dale Wiley sifts through the remains of his former home in the Pine Summit Estates on Cobb Mountain, he takes a break to eat a hot meal at the community recreation center.

The meals are brought in by dedicated American Red Cross volunteers who travel up and down the mountain several times a day to ensure that residents like Dale have food and water while they continue the enormous task of rebuilding their lives. Dale knows there isn’t a lot left, but he truly appreciates our volunteers’ efforts while he looks for the few remaining items that may be hidden under the ashes.

“The last few days, I’ve eaten better than I have in the last few years,” Dale said with a smile on his face.

He still has pink spots on his clothing from where a DC-10 aircraft dropped flame retardant chemicals near his home as he was preparing to evacuate.

Committed to his friends and neighbors, Dale and his son coordinated to ensure that everyone could take as many necessities with them, until the very last minute. As the flames grew around them, propane tanks started to explode. The scene could only be described as a war zone said Dale, who is a former U.S. Navy sailor. Even though it was time to leave, his son rushed back into the house to salvage his mother’s urn. If Dale is anything, it’s proud of his son.

After evacuating, he spent a few days with friends and eventually made his way to the Red Cross Assistance Center in Clear Lake. He never thought he’d be in a situation where he would need this type of help. “Until you go through something like this, you don’t really get it,” he said.

Dale is committed to rebuilding because Cobb Mountain is his home. He counts himself lucky to have survived. He is grateful for the volunteers who traveled from throughout the country to be here for his community.

“I don’t know where I’d be without all this help,” Dale said.

By Eric Maldonado, volunteer contributor, American Red Cross

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The Rodriguez family hadn’t even finished unpacking their apartment on Barnes Street in Middletown less than a week after they moved in.

On a hot Saturday afternoon, the family’s youngest child Danna didn’t want to take a nap and started to cry. Big sister Pricilla, 13, took Danna for a stroll outside in her little blue push car. But when they stepped outside, Pricilla knew something was very wrong. The sky was dark with what at first looked like rain clouds, but she quickly realized it was something much worse.

Wildfire was surrounding Middletown. Pricilla said, “The smoke was coming over us like a wave and it was raining ashes.”

Pricilla rushed inside and alerted her father Gregorio. In a state of disbelief, Gregorio panicked as he tried to figure out what to do. Unexpectedly, Pricilla began to give out orders and help her family pack their essential belongings. She called her mother Patricia, who was at work, to let her know what was happening.

She grabbed a suitcase and started to fill it with clothes, grabbed important documents and even a gallon of water for later use. She told her father to park their truck backwards so it would be easier to load and to leave if need be. Pricilla’s instincts turned out to be correct, because shortly after, police officers knocked on their door and told them they need to evacuate immediately.

They left to her uncle’s house, who was also packing. That night they made their way to the Napa County Fairgrounds shelter, where they were warmly greeted by Red Cross volunteers. Since then, they have signed up for recovery assistance with the Red Cross and other relief agencies, and they are now staying at the American Red Cross shelter at Twin Pine Casino in Middletown, just a few blocks away from what little remains of their apartment.

“I’ve never been in a situation like this before. I have found nothing but great people. I had no idea how much the Red Cross does. Out of this fright, I’ve seen something beautiful. There’s so much help available to those affected,” Gregorio said.

Pricilla will go back to school on Monday, Sept. 28 when it reopens. Her entire family is proud of her. They call her their hero.

By Eric Maldonado, volunteer contributor, American Red Cross

Saturday, Sept. 12 began as a normal day for the Lopez family. As they headed to their son’s football game in Fort Bragg, Calif., they couldn’t have imagined that their home would not be standing in just a few hours.

As they left, they saw the smoke in the distance, but Cirilo Rodriguez told his wife, Rocio, “Don’t worry, the firefighters will get it.” However, when they reached the football field about two hours later, the buzz was already in the air: Middletown was on fire.

Because of the danger, they weren’t allowed to return home and stayed in a hotel in Fort Bragg for the night. They tried to make it to Clear Lake, but still couldn’t go in. They had nothing more than the clothes and items they had taken to the football game.

Eventually they found themselves at Red Cross shelter in Calistoga, Calif. Working with the American Red Cross and numerous other agencies, Cirilo has received financial assistance to start building their lives again. There they had access to mental health support, hot meals and a safe place to stay while they began to map out their road to recovery. And while the journey ahead is overwhelming and uncertain, he and his family are optimistic when they think about the future.

Despite losing nearly everything, Cirilo is grateful for what remains. He said, “Even though we’re left with no material items, we’re left with our family.”

Cirilo and Rocio’s children also continue to look to the future. Their daughter, Alejandra, 17, is a senior in high school and is planning to attend college. Their son Andres, 11, wants things to return to a new normal.

Cirilo is amazed at the outpouring of caring from the community and the support from the Red Cross. “It’s been a great help. People that don’t even know us are helping us.”