Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency after a fast-moving wildfire demolished hundreds of buildings and forced more than 23,000 people to flee their homes over the weekend.
The Valley Fire in Lake County, just two hours north of San Francisco, erupted early Saturday afternoon and rapidly burned through the drought-ridden land.
The fire spread quickly, growing from 50 acres to 400 acres to 50,000 acres by Sunday afternoon. Entire towns were ordered to flee their homes and in some cases residents only had a few minutes to evacuate, Cal Fire spokesman Daniel Berlant told NBC News.
In just two days, the fire has destroyed at least 400 single-family homes, some apartment buildings, and at least 10 commercial structures, while many more are expected to burn before firefighters can get the blaze under control.
This is the third major wildfire to hit the Lake Country area this summer alone. The massive Rocky Fire burned 70,000 acres in late July, while the Jerusalem fire consumed 25,000 acres through August.
How can you help those affected by the wild fires?
You can make donations to the Red Cross online or donate a tent at one of these locations:
- Calistoga Fairgrounds, Calistoga
- 2049 W. Steele Lane, T&B Sports, Santa Rosa
- Fountain Grove Inn, 101 Fountain Grove Parkway, Santa Rosa
- Napa Fume Bistro, Napa
- 2144 Granada Street, Napa
- 1680 E St., Napa
- 6505 Washington Street, Yountville
Those looking to assure their loved ones in the area are okay, can visit the Safe and Well website of the Red Cross, and those who have evacuated may also use the website to let people know they are safe.
LoveLakeCounty.org, which just launched this morning from the team at The Engine is Red, is an online hub where people can quickly connect with local opportunities to donate, volunteer, and give to the victims of the recent Northern California fires. The site is being updated live, and will remain updated as long as it takes.
