Bay Area native recounts having to evacuate Shingletown due to Park Fire

The Park Fire continues to rage on filling communities with fire, smoke and ash, and some former Bay Area residents are being impacted and displaced.

Kelly Lowe was born in Marin and lived for years in the East Bay. She now lives in Shingletown, located about 30 miles east of of Redding. It's one of the towns feeling the effects of the fire.

"I've had a rough day of emotions," said Lowe, recounting what had happened. "I have a huge sense of displacement, the possibility of losing not only my home but my place of employment and my community is really overwhelming."

She said when she left, the town was unrecognizable.

"It was very eerie, because the smoke had come in because the winds had changed, the light was a very odd yellowy color," said Lowe. "There was ash coming down like snow."

Cal Fire is continuing to fight the fire, and firefighter Jason Clay said it's important for people to continue to stay alert and prepared for fires. That goes for everyone in California, regardless of proximity to the Park Fire.

"One: How am I receiving emergency alerts," Clay explained. "Am I signed up through my county to get those alerts in a timely manner. Two: Do I know my escape route. Where I'm going to go if I get separated from my family. Where are we going to meet up. The other thing is what am I going to take with me."

He said it's important to make sure you have your go bag ready, fill it with important papers, pictures, money and things you will need, like medication and a change of clothes.

He suggested keeping it in the car to remain ready to go.

Colette Curtis lives in the Town of Paradise. They are only under an evacuation warning, but it brings back memories of the 2018 Camp Fire, the deadliest fire in California History.

Paradise is still recovering from that fire, and adapting from it.

"We feel really uniquely situated to take what we have learned, especially from the Camp Fire, to recover more resiliently than we have, so we've taken many, many steps to  be more resilient for the fires that are going to come," said Curtis.

Lowe also survived the Camp, Carr, and Dixie fires. She said right now she doesn't know what's next.

"If Shingletown stands, we go back to life as normal," said Curtis. "I go home and I unpack my stuff. If Shingletown falls, I'm going to find a whole new way of life."

Lowe said community leaders have updated her saying they believe Shingletown will be safe for the foreseeable future, but she won't go home until the evacuation order is lifted.