Beaumont High School Transformed Into Emergency Shelter for Fire Evacuees

Reported by Patch Editors Renee Schiavone and Guy McCarthy:

Thursday Update 6 p.m.: 

Beaumont City Councilman Brian De Forge tells Patch that Walmart is donating enough towels and washcloths for evacuees to use while staying at the emergency shelter at Beaumont High School.

Thursday Update 2 p.m.:

Less than a day after mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Idyllwild and Fern Valley areas, Beaumont High School's gymnasium has been transformed into a temporary living site for hundreds of evacuees.

More than 200 people ended up sleeping at Beaumont High School Wednesday night, Red Cross officials said.  As of Thursday afternoon, most of them remained at the school, since more than half were from a camp that was affected by the evacuations.

Officials on scene told Patch they aren't sure how long people will be staying, but are gearing up for at least the next couple days.

As for things needed at the site, Councilman Brian De Forge told Patch they're looking for towels for people to shower.  If you have some you'd like to donate, bring them to the gym.


Original Story published July 17 at 11 p.m.:

Approximately 135 people showed up to Beaumont High School Wednesday night, as they were forced to evacuate the nearby mountain community of Idyllwild because of a massive wildfire burning nearby.

Red Cross and Beaumont Unified School District volunteers transformed the BHS gymnasium into an emergency shelter in a matter of hours, after getting word that the Mountain Fire had spread and changed direction, threatening the Idyllwild and Fern Valley areas, according to school officials and the U.S. Forest Service.

"As the fire started to escalate today, the Red Cross called to notify us that they may need this facility," Beaumont Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Maureen Latham told Patch while at the high school around 8 p.m.  "Within an hour we had confirmation that they would have a need to use the facilities... the advance notice allowed us to start setting up Beaumont High School gym to receive any evacuees that may come."

According to Latham and Red Cross officials the shelter has been set up to not only accommodate approximately 175 people-- but their pets as well.

"We were in communication with the city and the police department, who then also arranged for our animal care unit to help because we've learned in the past that one of the challenges many evacuees have is they have animals and they can't bring animals into a Red Cross facility," Latham said.

While Patch was on scene, evacuees were already taking advantage of the animal care.  One woman was spotted checking in her four cats, while another couple dropped of their dog.

"We're just going to have a slumber party tonight, and pray the firemen put that [fire] out fast, because it was really ugly," said evacuee Suzanne Swanson, who added that the most important thing to her was to get her pets and self down the mountain safely.  She also brought along photographs and her computer.

"At three o'clock, the smoke from my deck was turning orange and black, and I thought 'this is not looking good'," she said of her home near the Idyllwild Nature Center.

The evacuee arrivals began to roll in around 7:30 p.m., and Red Cross officials on scene initially estimated that they'd see a few dozen people at the shelter Wednesday night.  However, at around 8 p.m., a caravan of more than 100 campers from the Tahquitz Pines Conference Center arrived.

"Now we're understanding that we're going to have a really large group because a major campground up there was evacuated and they're all coming here," Latham told Patch as they lined up in front of the school.

A religious theatrical performance group called the Covenant Players-- who say they had just arrived in Idyllwild from locations as far as Australia, South Africa and Great Britain on Wednesday afternoon-- filed into the high school gym, taking everything in stride.

"We have people from all over the world here," said Mark Johnson-Tanner, a North American supervisor for the organization. "We ate dinner and left [after arriving this afternoon.]"

"We're rolling with it," he added.  "This is just a great adventure and we're seeing what God is going to do next."

The Mountain Fire swelled to more than 19,000 acres Wednesday, prompting more evacuations as incident commanders stated 4,100 homes and 100 commercial properties were considered threatened.

According to Latham, BUSD has an agreement with the American Red Cross to serve as an emergency evacuation center.

Latham said that more volunteers are needed at the shelter, and if you'd like to help out, to stop by the school.  It's not clear in what manner you'll be helping out, but officials on scene will help direct you.

Emergency centers have also been set up at Hemet High School and Hamilton High in Anza, according to the sheriff's department.

Those shelters don't have on-site animal care, though, as pets are being brought to the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus at 581 S. Grand Ave. in San Jacinto, a spokesman for Riverside County Animal Services said Wednesday evening.

"So far we have eight cats, two dogs, and two horses," John Welsh of Animal Services said in a phone interview from Hemet High School. "Two hours ago the parking lot was empty and now it looks jam packed.

"There are cars and buses, it looks like for kids evacuated from one of the camps up there," Welsh said. "There are lots of people in the bleachers too. Earlier they had 20 cots set up and now it looks like about a hundred."

Welsh urged pet owners who have had to evacuate due to the Mountain Fire to call (951) 791-3720, a number which will be answered 24-7, he emphasized.

"All pets will receive animal ID numbers and pet owners will receive those numbers for their records," Animal Services officials said in a statement. "The pets will be provided food and water and proper care. There is no fee to use the shelter during the fire-evacuation period."