Red Cross Leads Evacuation Centers Efforts

San Andreas, CA — The American Red Cross, working in conjunction with local agencies, is in place at three Butte Fire emergency evacuation centers.

Lilly Wyatt, director of regional communications for the Red Cross Gold Country Region states that the centers are equipped to provide food, shelter and other essential relief and support as long as necessary.  Too, she notes they received a $25,000 donation from Walmart to help provide several needed items. The easiest and most effective way to make donations, she says is to go to redcross.org and click the link to donate. Donors are able to specify “disaster relief” for their contributions on the site.

Below are the locations of the current Butte Fire Red Cross Evacuation Centers:

Amador County:
Jackson Rancheria Hotel and Resort – 12222 New York Ranch Rd, Jackson, CA 95642

According to Tiesha Adams, a Amador County Social Services Office disaster services worker, her office is splitting double-shifts with Red Cross staff. She reports the center has plenty of room and will not turn anyone away as long as there is room. Last night the center counted 270-plus evacuees, not including those in the RV area, where there are additional shower facilities. The Rancheria has been providing three hot meals each day as well as snacks.

Calaveras:
San Andreas Town Hall – 24 Church Hill Rd, San Andreas, CA 95249
Calaveras County Fairgrounds – 101 Frogtown Road, Angels Camp, CA 95222

Calaveras County Fairgrounds operations manager Laurie Giannini reports that over 100 animals were taken in last night and there is additional capacity. The grounds are also now an evacuation center and Cal Fire is additionally using some of the property for staging equipment. As for the center’s needs, “We’re getting so many phone calls of people who want to help, and we’re really good today, we really have a lot of help but I am taking a list of people who can help folks a week or two weeks from now,” she states. The Red Cross there is accepting donations of bottled water and ice onsite.

She stresses that all other relief goods, such as clothing, blankets and toiletries were being gathered at other locations: Ironstone Vineyards, in Murphys, the Rescue Church in Angels Camp and Community Covenant Church in San Andreas, pending further spread of the fire. Those in need of relief supplies, she directs to the same two churches.

Additionally, the Red Cross offers a “Safe and Well” online resource for people in disaster areas throughout the United States to register their current status so that loved ones are able to access the information. Those currently being affected by the Butte Fire may register there. The resource is available 24/7 and is accessible in both English and Spanish.