LAKE COUNTY (AP) — Rain is falling steadily at an evacuation center where hundreds of people fleeing a Northern California wildfire are staying in trucks and tents.
The steady rain is helping crews battle the Valley Fire that exploded Saturday. The fire has scorched 70,200 acres. And it’s 35 percent contained. Nearly 600 homes have been destroyed.
Pat Morales, Red Cross camp manager, says a large outdoor canopy is in place for people who want relief from the rain but have dogs too large to go into buildings.
The center at the Napa County fairgrounds is feeding about 1,000 people at each meal. The food is being prepared by wine country chefs who are donating their time and skill.
Andrew Wild is an adjunct at the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena and a caterer. He says he showed up at the center Saturday night, hours after it opened, and started giving orders in the kitchen.
He’s working with donated sausages, hundreds of pounds of ice, truckloads of produce, and canned goods.