Hundreds of homes destroyed, thousands evacuated from Valley Fire

LAKE COUNTY, Calif. -- The Valley Fire has expanded to 61,000 acres, has five percent containment and has moved into three counties: Napa, Sonoma and Lake counties. Middletown and Hidden Valley Lake are among the hardest hit communities.[br /][br /]Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency for Lake and Napa counties.[br /][br /]Cal Fire has confirmed that one person has died in the fire. In addition to the 400 homes that have been destroyed, many more are threatened. Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect. More than 17,000 people have already been forced from their homes.[br /][br /]Several evacuation centers are now open, and many schools are closed for the day.[br /][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 /]A Cal Fire spokesperson called it unpredictable, saying it grew to more than 40,000 acres in just 12 hours.[br /][br /]PG&E officials say at least 5,800 customers are without power. Many of those customers are under mandatory evacuation orders.[br /][br /]Evacuated residents are wondering when they can return home. Authorities say it's still too soon to say.[br /][br /]At a meeting Sunday night, some evacuees expressed frustration at the number of homes lost. Cal Fire officials say early on, protecting property was not the top priority. Protecting people's lives was.[br /][br /]The wind is spreading the fire toward Napa County and into the Geysers area. Cal Fire says there is damage to some of the cooling towers and power plants there. No homes in Sonoma County are threatened right now.[br /][br /]Governor Jerry Brown will join Cal Fire officials Monday at a press conference following a private briefing.[br /][br /]Crews are setting back fires along Highway 29 to starve the approaching fire of any fuel.[br /][br /]At a news conference Sunday, the CHP said it will be two to three days before people can get back into the burned areas.[br /][br /]Officials say at least 27 people have been treated at hospitals in Lake and Sonoma counties. Twenty were treated St. Helena Hospital in Clearlake and seven were treated at St. Helena Hospital in Napa Valley. Most of those injuries were for smoke inhalation and classified as minor. Four firefighters were burned, but all are expected to recover. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.[br /][br /][twitter ID="643232271240032256" /][br /]Napa and Lake county officials have are warning evacuees to not post their address online.[br /][br /]Burglars are on the prowl scamming fire survivors online and asking for addresses to go check on their homes in an effort to steal their belongings.[br /][br /]Sheriff's deputies are patrolling the evacuated areas.[br /][br /]Many evacuees are worried about their pets and animals that were left behind. A [url HREF="https://www.facebook.com/lakecountypets?fref=ts" TARGET="" REL=""]Facebook page[/url] has been created to help reunite those residents with their animals.[br /][br /]The devastation in Middletown is simply unbelievable and now the neighborhoods are unrecognizable. Dozens of homes were destroyed by the monster Valley Fire that tore through the area on Saturday night, burning neighborhoods on both sides of Highway 29. Cars melted down to scrap and chimneys are the only things left standing. Officials say there is no water or power in Middletown at this time and it's unclear when it will be restored.[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 /][br /]Crews were able to save many homes in the area, but they say it wasn't easy. The wall of flames was so ferocious there simply wasn't time.[br /][br /][twitter ID="643231337315483648" /][br /]ABC7 News spoke with residents who lost their homes. Kimberly Harper not only lost her home, and the homes her two sons were renting also burned.[br /][br /]"You know, I grabbed a few things, I grabbed a couple of photo albums," she said. "And you think you're going to be prepared, and you're not. I grabbed a handful of clothes for my husband, for me. We got our dog. We couldn't get our cat because she ran and hid. And so, just some photo albums and everything else is gone. My kids grabbed clothes. They lost everything they own. They're renters, so they don't have any homeowners insurance or anything. I'm more worried about them right now, I think, than us."[br /][br /]Most of downtown Middletown survived the fire just fine, along with local schools. Twin Pines Casino is also still standing but closed this weekend.[br /][br /]The community of Lower Lake is the furthest south people drive right now on Highway 29. Crews are setting back fires to get rid of any fuel in case the flames from the Valley Fire come closer.[br /][br /]Most of the evacuees have been told it could be awhile before they return home.[br /][br /]PG&E crews are cutting down lines because they were damaged and laying across streets and highways.[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 /]Hundreds of people have been streaming into the evacuation center at the Napa Valley Fairgrounds since Saturday night. And so have donations.[br /][br /]It is full of people who say they barely escaped with their lives. Everywhere you turn people are sharing their stories, expressing how they are still in shock, and wondering if their homes are still there.[br /][br /][twitter ID="643219840086372352" /][br /]As fast as the fire struck, the Napa County Fairgrounds in Calistoga turned into a refugee camp overnight. The Red Cross says between 500 and 1,000 evacuees are camped out there with more still streaming in.[br /][br /]Right now it's somewhat of a chaotic collaboration between the understaffed Red Cross and hundreds of community members bringing in supplies. ABC7 News saw people bring in fresh produce from their gardens, bringing in diapers bought at the store, and shipping any pallets of water. The Red Cross says thank you, however, says it no longer needs supplies. It is now asking for cash donations only so it can get exactly what the evacuees need.[br /][br /]Mandatory evacuations have been called for Bottle Rock Road, High Valley Road, Hwy 175 Cobb, Hwy 29 Tubbs Lane (Calistoga, Napa County) to Hwy 29/Hwy 53( Lower Lake, Lake County) Butts Canyon Road to Napa County Line, including Berreyssa Estates. Communities of Cobb, Seigler Canyon, Loch Lomond, Middletown and Hidden Valley Lakes[br /][br /]An advisory evacuation is in effect Pine Flat Road 5000 and above, Geysers Road out of Healdsburg 6000 block and above and Geysers Road out of Geyserville 9400 block and above.[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="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" /]