Two Bodies Found In Butte Fire Area; Valley Fire Evacuees Struggle To Find Normalcy
CALAVERAS COUNTY (CBS13) — Two people have been found dead after a fire burned through the Sierra in the last week.
The Calaveras County Sheriff's Department confirms two people have died in the Butte Fire. This comes just days after the discovery of a woman who died in the Valley Fire.
The coroner reports that Mark McCloud, 66, was found on Baker Riley Road in Mountain Ranch on Tuesday. His home was found after it was engulfed by flames. McCloud reportedly refused to evacuate.
The second victim was found at the M-24 Ranch in Mountain Ranch and also reportedly refused to leave. He has yet to be identified, pending notification of next of kin.
Many people have been living out of tents for four days now in Middletown after the Valley Fire. Four walls and an army of volunteers are delivering hope to a community trying to piece itself back together.
"A lot of families lost their homes and their children have nowhere to go and I'm just devastated for them," said Hidden Valley Lake resident Christy Walls.
She evacuated her home on Saturday night when the fire exploded in drought conditions. She's spent the last four days on a cot at the Moose Lodge. The stress and uncertainty has been so overwhelming, she's been in and out of the emergency room.
"We've had one fire after another after another and it's just—I watch the kids, I watch the parents try to be strong for their kids," she said. "It's very overwhelming and it was very scary."
With hundreds of evacuees in need, Jules Manning, 16, is lifting spirits with supplies for his displaced classmates.
"It kind of makes me want to keep going just to help out a little bit and make anything that I can to make these people's lives a little bit easier," he said.
Rolling in all the comforts of home is the focus here, as families replace toiletries, food and clothes while trying to reconnect with friends and family they still can't reach.
"You just put out a positive attitude and you've got to keep that positive attitude. I know there's devastation out here but there's hope! Look what's coming. The community is here to help you," said Eric Austin.
Help that reaffirms Christy Walls' faith that through tragedy comes triumph.
"It's my precious lord. He gets me through everything," she said.
