A Camarillo church has become an overnight shelter for Ventura County families evacuated in the Mountain Fire. They are providing meals, medical care and a place to sleep for those who had to flee their homes on Wednesday.
While mandatory evacuations remained in effect, the American Red Cross and Ventura County Human Services Agency set up the shelter at Padre Serra Parish, a Catholic church located at 5205 Upland Road in Camarillo. Initially it was a temporary shelter, just a check-in point where people could find information and emergency resources, but it has become an all-night shelter. All disaster assistance offered there is free for those who have been evacuated.
“Now we’re transitioning to a shelter, a night shelter. We have a team that prepares cots so they have a place to sleep,” said David Wagner, a spokesman for the American Red Cross. ‘The Salvation Army cooks meals for us. We’ll have dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow – meals for as long as they need them here.’
Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
Wagner said nurses at the shelter have treated people who suffered abrasions and minor burns as they fled the wildfire, which exploded to 10,000 hectares within five hours before spreading even further. to more than 14,000 hectares at 7:30 p.m
Homes were destroyed as people escaped the flames, while firefighters conducted rescue efforts throughout the day.
“This morning there was a knock on our door to get out,” said a woman at the shelter who fled her home in Las Posas Estates with her husband. “The fire made it difficult to get out at that point because it was less than 300 meters from us, and we kept trying to find a way out through the smoke.”
“And there were fires on the side of the road and in front of us, and we kept going in circles,” she said. “And we finally got out.”
Another woman, who lives at a senior mobile home park near Spanish Hills, said the park manager told her they could leave together. “You know, I don’t have anyone to go to because my whole family lives in New York,” she said.
Several evacuees spoke about it friends try to helprelatives and neighbors flee.
“It moved into our neighborhood very suddenly,” another Ventura County resident at the shelter said of the wildfire. “The kids were still at school, so I packed a bag for each of the kids. We got one of our neighbors out, who lives alone, and we headed to the evacuation center.”
Tens Schools announced closuresthousands Residents faced power outages and the city of Ventura asked for residents to limit their water use so that firefighters have enough to fight the fire.
In the meantime, the shelter will continue to assist evacuees as they are eventually allowed to return home, Wagner said.
“We will be there to help them recover, get back on their feet and return to their homes,” he said.
The Red Cross released a statement saying the shelter will provide water, meals, snacks, health care and other resources.
“We encourage anyone in need of assistance to come to the shelter, and residents in nearby areas to be ready to evacuate,” the statement said.
Tom Wait
