Twin Pine Casino & Hotel, owned and operated by the Middletown Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California provided succor and relief for hundreds of victims made temporarily homeless by the Valley Fire that burned more than 75,000 acres in Northern California recently. The casino is located in Middletown.
The wildfire came within 200 yards of the casino, which closed for a week. \After the evacuation order was lifted the event center became a Red Cross shelter, providing hot food, medicine and measure of normality.
Then in August the Clayton Fire burned about 4,000 acres near Lower Lake. The casino was forced to cancel its biggest concert of the summer, featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy to turn the events center into a shelter.
From August 14-23 the shelter provided meals and lodging for as many as 130 people a night, although it averaged 40.
Now business has returned to normal.
