Evacuation shelters for Caldor Fire evacuees move from Carson City and Douglas to Reno
Submitted by Jeff Munson on Thu, 09/02/2021 - 3:55pm
UDPATE 4:56PM: As the first evacuees on the South Shore from Christmas Valley, Meyers and South Lake Tahoe were sent away from their homes due to the Caldor Fire, the only evacuation centers set up by the Red Cross were at the Douglas County Community and Senior Center and later, the Carson City Community Center and Fuji Park.
As of now these are no longer options for South Lake Tahoe, Calif., area residents. Instead, evacuees are being sent to the Reno Sparks Convention Center. Officials said the decision was made in Douglas to make room for its own county evacuees along with those coming from Alpine County.
On Wednesday, Carson City gave word that it was relocating its shelter at the community center, sending evacuees to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, 4590 South Virginia St, Reno. For those without pets and the Reno-Sparks Livestock Events Center, 1350 N Wells Ave, Reno and for those with pets and with campers.
Carson City noted that services at the Carson City evacuation centers, both at the community center and at Fuji Park, were to be limited by Wednesday night into Thursday.
Carson City noted in a social media post Wednesday that the new locations in Reno will have the most up-to-date information on the Caldor Fire, repopulation efforts, and the resources available for El Dorado County residents to help get them home and reconnected with friends and family.
The Community Center shelter is ready to reopen if the need arises to support our neighboring communities during this challenging time, according to a news release Thursday from Carson City.
"We have received numerous inquiries regarding donations. Due to the generous outpouring from our community, we have no immediate needs at this time. Those who wish to donate to the Caldor Fire Evacuees can contact the Carson City Manager’s Office at 775-887-2100 to be connected with the donation coordinators. The Nevada Humane Society in Carson City (549 Airport Rd, Carson City) is accepting animal supply donations as well as monetary donations," according to the Carson City news release.
Douglas County noted the following about the location change:
"On August 31, 2021 the Red Cross notified the Douglas County Community and Senior Center that the original group of evacuees from the Caldor Fire would need to be relocated to another shelter to provide space to allow incoming Douglas County evacuees the opportunity to remain in their local community due to mandatory evacuations in the State of Nevada," Douglas County said in a press release. "Moving displaced evacuees was done out of necessity as shelter needs for people and their pets continues to evolve as the Caldor Fire continues to move into Nevada."
The Douglas County Community and Senior Center is currently open only to Douglas and Alpine County residents. The Douglas County Fairgrounds is actively sheltering small and large animals.
There is no evacuation center in the local community for South Lake Tahoe residents that is easily accessible.
Those on the west slope in El Dorado County require a drive to I80, to Highway 49 and onto US50. From South Lake Tahoe the normally 60-minute drive is now over four hours and two hundred miles.
When contacted, South Lake Tahoe Mayor Tamara Wallace hadn't been informed of the situation and quickly looked into it. She said CalOES (California Office of Emergency Services) wanted to get the South Lake Tahoe area residents into one central location that accepted their pets and kept separate from Douglas County residents for better tracking. The Reno Sparks Convention Center fit those needs as they expanded to accommodate residents and pets.
"They are an incredible partner," said Wallace of CalOES. "They've been looking for pet-friendly motels and shelters for evacuees."
