Woman who grew up in Fresno among those evacuated from Carr Fire
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- A woman who grew up in Fresno but now lives in Redding had to evacuate her family because of the massive Carr Fire burning in Shasta and Trinity counties. It's burned over 98,000 acres and has claimed six lives.
RELATED: Carr Fire burning in Shasta County grows to 98,724 acres
Shalome Hurley vividly recalled the 113-degree day when she evacuated her family almost an hour before the official notice was sent out last Thursday.
Hurley said, "I just can't believe it. It's so unbelievable."
The Carr Fire moved so quickly residents barely had time to evacuate.
Hurley evacuated her family as the fire moved to within two miles of her home. She said, "It was pretty strange. Like I said, just dismantling the house and taking pictures off of the wall to figure out what's going to fit and which boxes to take."
RELATED: Celebrity chef Guy Fieri feeds hundreds of Carr Fire evacuees
Shalome had her 14-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son pack up a few boxes and their pets: two hamsters and a bearded dragon lizard.
"Then getting to that point was, well we have to go now. Feeling really panicked. The smoke was so dark and heavy. There was ash falling."
They slept in their car that first night but Hurley said a fellow schoolteacher invited the family to stay with her.
GALLERY: Photos from the wildfires across California
Through it all, she worried most about others in the community.
Hurley explained, "It's really sad, I don't really know how it's going to affect our schools because a lot of the school staff has been displaced or lost their homes."
RELATED: How to help Carr Fire victims in Redding and Shasta County, California
Hurley's home was still intact and late Monday she was allowed to return to her neighborhood.
Shalome added her school has also re-opened to provide free meals to residents.
Get the latest on the Carr Fire here and the latest on wildfires across California here.
