The most disastrous wildfire to hit drought-troubled California this year is leaving its mark on the small district of Middletown, California. Three individuals have been killed, and 1 has been identified as an elderly woman who suffered from advanced multiple sclerosis and physical disabilities, limiting her ability to walk. She was sadly unable to escape. Adding to this is hundreds of homes and businesses being destroyed by the merciless flames.

With a population of under 2,000 people, Middletown is the 1st District of Lake County, California. The majority of Middletown’s population consists of retirees and commuters, who despite living in a small town, had popular tourist attractions like Harbin Hot Springs and the Middletown Rancheria available. Unfortunately, these fires have brutal on everyone, even beloved attractions, and the Harbin Hot Springs isn’t an exception. The health resort was one of the hundreds of buildings burned to the ground, having only the resort’s pools survive. The fact that the pools survived the flames can be viewed as a sign of hope for citizens of Middletown, representing the chance of rebuilding the town better than it ever was.

As of 7 a.m. on Friday, September 18, the so-called “Valley fire” has burned 73,700 acres of land and is 40% contained. There are under 4,200 fire workers trying to contain the flames and four have been injured, so the lack of manpower is definitely a big disadvantage. 585 homes and hundreds of other buildings have been destroyed and 7,473 structures are in danger of being destroyed. About 13,000 people have been displaced, with most fleeing to the nearby city of Calistoga (all according to the LA Times). These fires began at a moment’s notice, nowhere near the amount of time one needs to gather their belongings and leave their homes.

It’s a time of uncertainty and panic for citizens of Middletown, as many don’t know whether or not their homes were among those destroyed. With over 500 escapees fleeing to Calistoga, it’s important that the necessary supplies are readily available for these people. Donations have been flowing into the shelter, with things like clothing, water, and food coming in, but there’s hundreds more expected to arrive at the American Red Cross shelter. If you’d like to donate to those affected by the Valley fire, here are some ways to do so:

Online:

To make an online donation, please go to www.redcross.org, search “Valley fire” (should be the first result) and click on the donate button. $10 is the minimum donation.

Phone:

To make a $10 donation through text message, text “Red Cross” to 90999.

The shelter in Calistoga can’t accept bedding, among other things, through donations. If you’d like to donate to the shelter, you must do so by check. Please have “Western Wildlife Relief Fund” in the memo field and have it sent to the following address:

American Red Cross

1663 Market Street

San Francisco, CA 94103

The firefighters fighting to contain the Valley fire are working day-in and day-out. Unfortunately several of their homes were among those destroyed. A GoFundMe account has been set up to help the affected firefighters rebuild their homes.

Human beings aren’t the only ones affected by the fires. Many pets have been lost and owners are scrambling to find them. The Calistoga shelter has partnered with Petaluma Animal Services to help these displaced animals. If you’re in the area they’re taking donations for these animals at the Calistoga Cal Mart and Safeway in St. Helena. If you can’t make it to the locations, the Wine County Animal Lovers are also taking donations for these animals at their website, winecountryanimallovers.org

Volunteer Work:

The main organization for volunteer work is CaliforniaVolunteers, working at increasing the number of Californians involved in volunteer work. Visit their website if you’re interested.

LoveLakeCounty.org is a local organization where people can connect and take advantage of opportunities to donate and volunteer. They have numerous events, meet-ups and dinners, planned throughout the next several days.