Wet weather poses danger for Valley Fire evacuees

CALISTOGA, Calif. (KGO) -- The wet weather is turning out to be big trouble for people who lost everything in the Valley Fire just about two months ago.

The destructive Lake County wildfires have created serious concerns for fire evacuees living in tents along creeks and rivers.



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"The fire created a situation with the land. It's basically like taking a clay pot and running it through the kiln. It baked it so hard that the water just runs off of it," said Lake County Supervisor Rob Brown.

Monday's rain was lighter than expected, but it was still alarming for evacuees at the Hidden Valley Lake Campground.

"If you get sustained rain, this area here can flood and most of the tent camping is along the creek. So yeah, that's a big concern," said Stephan Wasik, a fire evacuee.

There are approximately 80 fire evacuees still living in this campground after losing their homes more than 50 days ago.

Mike Thompson says he and others are living at this campground because local the hotels are full and FEMA is only offering a temporary hotel stay in another city. It's not convenient for their jobs.

"City councils and FEMA, they're not out here saying, 'Let's get you a trailer,'" Thompson said. "A lot of people are turning down what they're offering because they don't want that. They want a better solution that's closer to home here."

Many evacuees say this is the only practical option. Meanwhile, county crews are trying to clear debris from the creeks before the next storm hits.

READ MORE: Click here to see our full coverage on the Valley Fire