Wine Country fires’ poorest displaced face extra hurdles to resettlement

Larry Campbell, a disabled man who lost the van in which he lived and all his possessions when fire swept through Fountaingrove, waits at the Sonoma County Red Cross shelter. Larry Campbell, a disabled man who lost the van in which he lived and all his possessions when fire swept through Fountaingrove, waits at the Sonoma County Red Cross shelter. Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 8 Caption Close Wine Country fires’ poorest displaced face extra hurdles to resettlement 1 / 8 Back to Gallery

When everyone else left the shelters — to hotels, to rentals, to guest bedrooms — they were the ones left behind.

At the height of the Northern California wildfire disaster, nearly 5,000 people filled emergency shelters in Sonoma County, according to the Red Cross. They slept on thin hospital cots and ate hamburgers off paper plates. And then the majority decamped for temporary housing or back to their own homes. Fewer than 175 people remain now. There is nowhere for them to go.

Most are poor or homeless, without spare cash for an extended hotel stay, and far from family or friends. The shelters in which they’re living — the Finley Community Center, Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building and the Sonoma County Fairgrounds — won’t close any time soon, officials say.

“People there need to have extra time,” said Santa Rosa City Councilwoman Julie Combs. “If you’re in a shelter, you need that extra level of support. We should continue to provide it until we have alternative housing available. Until we have it available, it’s not appropriate to close these shelters.”

Exactly how long their doors will remain open is unknown, though precedents indicate a long slog. Some shelters stayed open more than two months after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, which disproportionately displaced poor people. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, similarly disadvantaged victims lived in emergency Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers for seven years.

It’s up to the Red Cross and city and county officials to decide whether to close a shelter.

Red Cross officials assess Sonoma County’s shelters day by day, said Lori Wilson, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross. For those still sleeping on the cots, even the dim rumor of a closure causes consternation.

Rick Lambert heard whispers this week that the fairgrounds shelter might close soon, and his mood for the past few days has vacillated between worry and anger at his predicament. Lambert loaded up his aged sedan with all the gear with which he and his wife, Melissa, fled when their rented room in Glen Ellen burned flat, and they’ve spent each day checking every resource they can for a new place to live.

“I’ve been looking to get a motor home, an RV, shared housing, Section 8 (federal rent vouchers), anything — and there is nothing for me,” said Lambert, 43. It’s particularly tough because he needs a place that also will take their three Siberian husky dogs, and the couple’s only income is the workman’s comp check on which they’ve lived for a year, since a hydraulic panel fell on him at his diesel mechanic job.

Lambert’s car looked like a 21st century version of a Dust Bowl refugee rig: Tents, clothes, blankets and suitcases were tied to the roof and trunk, and every inch inside was crammed full except for tight spots left for his wife and the dogs.

“They’ve been very good to us at this shelter, and I would hate to see it go,” he said, voice brimming with frustration. “If it shuts, I guess we’ll just have to go camping in the parks.”

Inside the cavernous Sonoma County Fairgrounds shelter this week, a half-dozen volunteers buzzed about the tables of snacks and information handouts. Dozens of cots had belongings neatly stacked alongside. Fire refugees strolled in and out, some heading downtown and others playing board games.

Tony McNeil, 52, was bumping against frustrations similar to Lambert’s — but finally snagged some luck. He and his girlfriend lost their rented house near Calistoga Road and Highway 12 to the flames, but on Friday a friend found them a new rental near where they used to live.

“I was in shock when I got to this shelter, but everyone here has been so wonderful,” McNeil said, standing outside the shelter passing the time with his Jack Russell terrier, Quincy, and Red Cross volunteer Marcus Dunseth. He pointed to Dunseth with a big smile.

“This guy, I tell you,” McNeil said, “he’s been amazing. He set me and my girlfriend up right away with food, cots, clothes, kennel for Quincy, everything. He’s been nothing but nice. But I’m glad we found something. These people can’t take care of us for the rest of our lives.”

Dunseth, who lives in Colorado and was visiting local family when the fires broke out, blushed and looked to his shoes. “How could you not volunteer to help out?” he said. “These people need us. I’ll stay with this as long as I can.”

Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle Ocean Smith, 10, of Clearlake, and his dog, Travis Lee, are among...

With the genesis of local assistance centers, which opened in two locations Oct. 14 and are run by Sonoma County, more people like McNeil have been getting the resources they need and leaving the shelters. Soon after the centers opened, lines stretched around the block, and residents waited as long as two-and-a-half hours to enter.

Each center has tables to get a new driver’s license, a deed for a boat or vehicle, copies of insurance paperwork and FEMA relief forms.

“In the 32 years I have worked for the county, it’s the biggest disaster response I have ever seen,” said Susan Klassen, who is managing the centers. She retired from her role as director of public works for Sonoma County one day before the fires, then quickly came back to help out.

“It’s just trying to put it all in one place for people,” she said. “If they had to figure this out on their own, after they’ve gone through something this horrible, it would be overwhelming. We are trying to make their recovery a little bit less of that by putting a bunch of people and resources together in one place. Maybe it’ll help them get back on their feet or out of a shelter.”

Not everyone has been receptive to getting help, said Wilson of the Red Cross.

“Trying to get some people to accept help and opportunity to change their situation is difficult,” Wilson said. “Maybe they were homeless prior to the disaster. Maybe they are struggling for whatever reason. That’s always the situation, whenever you have sheltering, as you get to this stage. The higher-risk are the ones who remain.”

The city is working with FEMA to cover some temporary housing costs, said Santa Rosa Mayor Chris Coursey. The agency has ordered 500 mobile units, similar to the ones used in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina — but presumably without the formaldehyde problems that came with those units.

Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle LPN Deborah Gensic moves medical supplies at Sonoma County...

Offers of other interim housing — including a luxury campsite for up to 75 people in the Black Rock Desert where Burning Man is held and vacation homes on Lake Tahoe — also have been extended to the displaced. And Santa Rosa officials are considering approving five parking lots for overnight parking, including outside Los Guilicos Juvenile Hall and the Sonoma County Fairgrounds.

Others are turning over vacation rentals and offering rooms within their homes for free, said Ronit Rubinoff, executive director of legal aid for Sonoma County, who is hosting some of the displaced in her own home.

“The definition of a disaster is you aren’t prepared,” Rubinoff said. “And we weren’t prepared for this. We are the worst off in the community to have a housing shortage on top of a housing shortage. People are on couches, in tents and encampments and evacuation centers. We are really trying to come up with creative solutions. The people really impacted are the renters who have lost their homes, not the homeowners. There isn’t a place for them to go.”

Everyone has a different story, said Klassen, who runs the local assistance shelters. It can be difficult to meet myriad needs.

“We have had a lot of folks coming through looking for things,” she said. “Maybe a tax deed or assessment record. Some come just for the free food and water that we give out at the door. Our biggest tables are the ones offering mental health services and help with temporary housing.”

Lizzie Johnson and Kevin Fagan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: ljohnson@sfchronicle.com, kfagan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @LizzieJohnsonnn @KevinFagan

Helping and getting help

FEMA is offering assistance to fire victims in Sonoma and Napa counties. For more information go to www. disaster assistance. gov/ or call (800) 621-3362.

Donations to help those affected by California wildfires and other disasters can be made at www.red cross.org. People can also call (800) 733-2767 or text the word CAWILDFIRES to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

People needing to report or ask about a missing person in Sonoma County can call the county Fire and Emergency Services Department at (707) 565-3856.

For tips on how to prepare for a wildfire, go to: www.red cross. org/ prepare/ disaster/ wildfire.

Donations to help fire victims can be made here: https://www.redwoodcu.org/northbayfirerelief.

To help Tubbs Fire victims, donate here: http://biturl. in/64.

Food donations can be made at the Redwood Empire Food Bank in Santa Rosa: http://refb.org/.