With devastating fires raging in Northern California, Rolling Hills Casino in Corning became an evacuation center for Shasta County residents fleeing the Carr Fire.
It included accommodations for evacuees and dozens of their pets and even livestock and horses, which were kept in stalls set up at the RV parking area. Humans had living quarters, including beds, pills and food, inside the main casino.
The casino gave away both pillows and pillow cases. Player Services Manager Charlie Jimenez told the Red Bluff Daily News: “There were multiple extra cases of pillows so we told our staff to open them up and use them.”
One evacuee, who had been driving to the Bay Area with her children and pit bull, told the News that she heard about the evacuation center from the radio. “We got here last night. We were driving toward the Bay Area and I started getting tired already so we stopped here.”
Allison and Ryan Kelly, evacuees from Shasta Lake, rested on a cot with their young child, with their dog and cat stored nearby. They had to set their goats, pigs and chickens free to escape the fire. The shelter had dozens of cots with chairs near a large projector screen so that evacuees could watch a live feed of the fire news.
Space was also provided for evacuees with RVs, who were able to use the facilities without paying the usual fee.
Said Jimenez, “This is something that needs to be done. A lot of these people we know, they are our customers.”
The casino and Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians, who own it, issued a press release: “The Paskenta Band is deeply saddened by the unfolding tragedy in Redding and is ready to assist our community in any way possible,” adding, “We are glad to have the facilities to help our friends and neighbors at this time.”
Near Lakeport, California, in Lake County, where residents were threatened by the River and Ranch fires (dubbed the Mendocino Complex of fires) evacuees were sent to Twin Pine Casino in Middletown.
Firefighters were put in the position of moving evacuees, rather than actually trying to stop the fires, which were too immense and fast moving to set up fire lines to try to contain at first.
