Valley Fire scorches 67,000 acres, 15 percent contained

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- The [url HREF="http://abc7news.com/tag/valley-fire/" TARGET="" REL=""]Valley Fire[/url] in Lake, Sonoma, and Napa counties grew to 67,000 acres and is 15 percent contained. Four firefighters have been injured. Several people remain missing. There are 585 homes that have been destroyed and 9,000 structures are threatened. Several highway and [url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/valley-fire-evacuation-centers-school-closures----resources-and%20info/982676/" TARGET="" REL=""]school closures[/url] are still in effect. However, evacuations have been lifted for Clearlake Riviera, Riviera West and Riviera Heights.[br /][br /]Over 2,300 firefighters from around the state are on the front lines battling this raging fire.[br /][br /]A [url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/bay-area-earthquake-tracker/25012/" TARGET="" REL=""]3.2 earthquake[/url] struck in the area of the fire this morning, but no damage or injuries have been reported.[br /][br /]People who have been waiting in a gymnasium have been nervously waiting for answers since Saturday about their homes and their pets.[br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/donations-how-to-help-valley-fire-victims/982772/" TARGET="" REL=""]DONATIONS: How to help victims of the Valley Fire where you live[/url][/b][br /][br /]Tom Dunlop grabbed Butterball and three of his five cats when fire roared into his Hidden Valley neighborhood.[br /][br /]On Tuesday, he will be one of hundreds of people who will be escorted into his home for the first time and he plans to look for his other two cats. "I'm trying not to have any expectations, I mean we are hoping that the worse doesn't happen and that our house is still standing and that the animals are OK," he said.[br /][br /]Firefighters are still very busy battling this fire and say it isn't safe to lift all evacuation orders yet. "The biggest area of concern is eastern and southern flanks, certainly the eastern area up on the Highway 175 corridor through communities of Loch Lomond and Anderson," Cal Fire Chief Dave Shew said.[br /][br /]Even though the fire already tore through Middletown, firefighters are still focused on this area looking for hot spots. "You get these piles of rubble and they keep heat in and it just slowly burns," Hayward Fire Department Capt. Ryan Hamry said.[br /][br /]Among all the rubble, crews found a burned kitten who is now being nursed back to health. "I was happy, lucky, it was cool," Hamry said. It's a difficult assignment being in this town because you feel so bad for the people here because half the town is completely burned up, so it is nice to have one bright spot in the day, the rest of the day is pretty sad."[br /][br /]Officials say one person has died -- an elderly disabled woman who was found in her home. She's been identified as [url HREF="http://abc7ne.ws/1QdKEQF" TARGET="" REL=""]72-year-old Barbara McWilliams[/url] of Anderson Springs. She had multiple sclerosis. Her caretaker Jennifer Hittson says when she left McWilliams' house Saturday afternoon, they were not aware of the fast-moving fire. That changed quickly and Hittson called the sheriff's department.[br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/valley-fire-victim-idd-as-woman-with-multiple-sclerosis/984652/" TARGET="" REL=""]VIDEO: Valley Fire victim ID'd as woman with multiple sclerosis[/url][/b][br /][post ID="984652" /][br /][br /]"I knew she was in the house, I knew she would be stuck, and I knew she would have no way of getting out," she said. "I told the sheriff that and I was told quite bluntly that they were busy handling evacuees and they would get to her when they could."[br /][br /]Deputies say they responded to the call within 17 minutes and were unable to approach her house because of the flames.[br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/photos-fire-crews-battle-10000-acre-valley-fire-in-lake-county/981528/" TARGET="" REL=""]PHOTOS: Fire crews battle massive Valley Fire[/url][/b][br /][post ID="981528" /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/resources-valley-fire-evacuation-centers-school-closures/982676/" TARGET="" REL=""]RESOURCES: Valley Fire evacuation centers, school closure information[/url][/b][br /][br /]The Napa County Fairgrounds has the largest number of evacuees with more than 500 people forced out of their homes, many of them lost their homes.[br /][br /][twitter ID="643760869818503168" /][br /][twitter ID="643773111645564928" /][br /][br /][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/valley-fire-evacuation-centers-school-closures----resources-and%20info/982676/" TARGET="" REL=""]All classes and activities[/url] at schools in Middletown and Cobb are suspended until further notice, including this Friday's homecoming football game.[br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/photos-abc7-news-at-the-valley-fire/984430/" TARGET="" REL=""]PHOTOS: ABC7 News at the Valley Fire[/url][/b][br /][post ID="984430" /][br /][br /]As more residents return to their devastated communities on Tuesday, they will get the chance to see whether their livestock and pets survived the inferno. [url HREF="http://abc7news.com/news/valley-fire-evacuation-centers-school-closures----resources-and%20info/982676/" TARGET="" REL=""]Most evacuation orders[/url] are still in place, but authorities know people are anxious to check on property and pets. Some people have been allowed in-- to see this devastation for themselves.[br /][br /]Pets and livestock were left behind during the frantic evacuation. This has been a huge concern since the fire broke out Saturday. [url HREF="https://www.facebook.com/lakecountypets?fref=ts" TARGET="" REL=""]Facebook pages[/url] have been set up dedicated to helping evacuees find their animals or find temporary shelters for them. Animal rescue groups and local feed stores have also been pitching in.[br /][br /]Sheriff's deputies will be escorting people in for 15 minute increments today. They'll meet you in the parking lots of the Kelseyville and lower lake high schools. You need to have ID and they'll take people in from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.[br /][br /][facebook URL="https://www.facebook.com/abc7news/photos/a.154843737078.141791.57427307078/10153651413622079/?type=1" /][br /][br /][b][url HREF="http://abc7news.com/tag/valley-fire/" TARGET="" REL=""]Click here[/url] for full coverage on the Valley Fire.[/b][br /][br /][b]If you see news where you live, tag your photos and videos on [url HREF="https://twitter.com/hashtag/abc7now" TARGET="" REL=""]Twitter[/url], [url HREF="https://instagram.com/explore/tags/abc7now/" TARGET="" REL=""]Instagram[/url], or [url HREF="https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/abc7now" TARGET="" REL=""]Facebook[/url] with #abc7now.[/b][br /][Ads /][br /][twitter ID="643562361337548800" /][br /][twitter ID="643549949544689664" /][br /][twitter ID="643545508137426944" /][br /][twitter ID="643543774472314880" /][br /][twitter ID="643507809632559104" /][br /][twitter ID="643506599571664896" /][br /][twitter ID="643531564832432128" /][br /][twitter ID="643426554681253888" /][br /][twitter ID="643427601248182273" /][br /][twitter ID="643417839685099521" /][br /][twitter ID="643424983474028545" /][br /][twitter ID="643424430954164225" /][br /][twitter ID="643249942136406016" /][br /][twitter ID="643241696403193856" /][br /][twitter ID="643236536092356608" /][br /][twitter ID="643210976783925252" /][br /][twitter ID="643225592637210625" /][br /][twitter ID="643220769724469248" /][br /][twitter ID="643217593231237120" /][br /][twitter ID="643184645991874561" /][br /][twitter ID="643205041076072449" /][br /][twitter ID="643044675901763588" /][br /][twitter ID="642931283677437952" /][br /][twitter ID="642961682524827648" /][br /][twitter ID="643130974696443904" /][br /][twitter ID="642951360539856896" /][br /][twitter ID="643044265904336897" /][br /][twitter ID="642972420131807232" /][br /][twitter ID="642953522527408130" /][br /][twitter ID="642936729494667264" /][br /][twitter ID="642868554295963648" /][br /][twitter ID="642876172401905664" /][br /][twitter ID="642915625870856192" /][br /][twitter ID="643091579142430720" /][br /][twitter ID="643090423955623936" /][br /][twitter ID="643109421892022272" /][br /][twitter ID="643123183462158336" /][br /][twitter ID="642888700360269824" /][br /][twitter ID="642863145959096320" /][br /][twitter ID="642886346277720064" /]tagboard ID="abc7now/243287" /]