Several evacuation and emergency operations centers opened up Sunday to help with responding to the Valley Fire.
The flames have destroyed at least 50,000 acres in Napa, Sonoma and Lake Counties, according to California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. In addition to vegetation, Cal Fire said hundreds of structures have burned down.
One person in Middletown died in the flames, Cal Fire officials confirmed Sunday night.
[NATL] Wildfires Continue to Ravage Drought-Stricken California
There is a report of a fatality on the #ValleyFire. That report is still being confirmed with the sheriff office.
— CAL FIRE PIO Berlant (@CALFIRE_PIO) September 14, 2015Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said the fire started near Cobb, in Lake County, and hit the communities of Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake particularly hard.
Mandatory evacuations are in effect for communities of Cobb, Seigler Canyon, Loch Lomond, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lakes, Livermore Road, Summit Lake Road and North of the community of Angwin, county officials said.
Advisory evacuations were ordered on Pine Flat Road, Geysers Road out of Healdsburg and Geysers Road out of Geyserville, Cal Fire officials said. While it is a voluntary evacuation, officials are asking residents to prepare just in case a mandatory evacuation order is given in the near future.
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"If you live in this region, even if you're not under mandatory evacuation, you have to be prepared," Berlant said, urging residents to gather any medications and other emergency supplies they'd need in the event of an evacuation.
People have been evacuated from Butts Canyon Road to the Napa County line, including Berryessa Estates, and along Highway 29 from Tubbs Lane to highways 29 and 53 in Lower Lake.
Cal Fire officials said evacuation centers have been set up at Kelseyville Presbyterian Church and in Kelseyville, Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga and Highland Senior Center in Highland. For a full list of evacuation centers, visit http://www.lakecountylac.com/evacuations-and-shelters.html. Many of the shelters also accommodate small pets.
Evacuees can also register with the Red Cross at the "Safe and Well" website or by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to let their families know they are safe.
Community members in Middletown came together Sunday to help bring their neighbors to safety.
County officials said people are scamming survivors through social media by asking evacuees' for their addresses. The scammers say they are part of a news crew covering the fire and will check on the evacuee's home, county officials said.
"Firefighters are doing heroic work in trying to contain the fire and keep residents safe, and it’s our honor to support them in every way possible," Jeff Baumgartner, Executive Director of the American Red Cross of the California Northwest, said in the statement. "We are working closely with the county officials to make sure all sheltering needs are met, and are prepared to scale up our support if needed."
