By DEAN REA/Correspondent/The Herald — Red Cross volunteers set up an evacuation center Tuesday night at Pleasant Hill High School to shelter residents who may have had to escape forest fires in the Oakridge area.
No one had shown up as of Wednesday morning, but Red Cross officials expected some to seek assistance later in the day as temperatures rise and fire conditions worsen.
The Cascades Region team spent an hour preparing to care for as many as 50 persons based on COVID-19 social distancing guidelines.
Casey Mueller, a Eugene travel agent, served as the volunteer shelter supervisor.
Other members were John McMahon, a regional disaster support team member from Vacaville, Calif.; Mark Stern, a retiree from Springfield, and Joel King, a paramedic who drove to the site from Roseburg.
Casey said the team was mobilized at 5 p.m. and had the center organized an hour later. The site was chosen based on an agreement with the Pleasant Hill School District.
The team brought cots and other basic equipment needed to establish the site. Meals and other items would be available through arrangements with other agencies.
Lane County issued a “flash alert” at 6:22 p.m. in which it announced that families affected by the Middle Fork Complex Fire in the Oakridge area were informed of the shelter. Firefighters went from house to house in
some areas to tell residents.
Residents were advised to pack bedding, clothing, medications, children’s toys and an emergency kit in the event they were faced with an emergency.
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