Some Caldor Fire Evacuees Left With Nowhere To Go
PLACERVILLE (CBS13) - El Dorado County is experiencing an evacuee exodus with many fleeing their homes from the Caldor Fire with nowhere to go.
"There was a lot of cars on the road and I didn't expect any miracles, I really expected to be sleeping in my car," said evacuee, Tom Berber.
Tom Berber slept in the parking lot of the Cameron Park Red Cross evacuation shelter that reached full capacity Tuesday night.
"We called around and we couldn't really find, everybody was full, this was the last resort
Red Cross is working with the county to open a third evacuation site to accommodate those still looking for a place to stay.
"We have multiple sites that are potential go to's," explained Steve Walsh, spokesperson for the Red Cross. "If we absolutely had to move people outside of the county because there wasn't any room at the inn sort of speak, we can do that, we prefer to keep them close to home," Walsh explained.
Walsh explained that the county is looking to determine the best location to open an additional evacuation site.
"They are monitoring the wind literally to make sure it's a safe location to open the doors because we do anticipate more people are going to need a safe space to stay," he said.
Rows of RVs are taking over the Placerville Walmart parking lot, with dozens of families setting up homes on the go.
"Everyone has come around donating water, ice, food, clothing, school supplies -- anything that you may possibly need. Even a water truck to fill up anyone's camper," explained evacuee Terri Wilson.
Wilson said other evacuated families are constantly coming into the parking lot with nowhere else to go.
"All day long and then they find someplace else to go and then others come," she said.
Placerville Seventh-Day Adventist is one of many churches filling their parking lots. They opened their parking lot Tuesday and 30 people camping out with still more room available.
"Just in a few hours, everything changed. We are just really grateful we had a place to come to and they are just really taking care of us," said evacuee Charlotte Henderson.
A community is coming together to find shelter as thousands wait to see if they have a home to go back to.
"Knowing that people care, the compassion of total strangers is overwhelming to my heart, it means so much," said evacuee Rhonda Hidebrand.
