SEELEY LAKE – The stress, chaos and loss that surrounds wildfire is still fresh on the minds of Seeley Lake residents. The Seeley Lake Community Foundation is organizing an effort to offer temporary refuge to those who have lost their homes or been evacuated due to the Sonoma County fires as a way to pay it forward.
More than half of the residents of Seeley Lake are seasonal. This makes some furnished homes available for use by those affected. The Foundation’s goal is to get many of these homes donated for the temporary use by the Sonoma County families displaced by fire.
“We would like to offer a place of refuge and a vacation from the stress in our beautiful community,” said Foundation Board Member Emily Rindal.
As of Saturday, 5,700 homes and businesses have been destroyed by the California blazes and entire cities have been evacuated. The fires killed at least 41 people with Sonoma County reporting 22 fatalities, Mendocino County had 9 victims, Napa County had six and Yuba County had four. More than 200 residents remain missing.
While some Seeley Lake residents have already stepped forward and offered their homes, the Foundation has not had any requests from people in California.
“I’m sure it is just chaos over there right now because they have had so many homes lost,” said Rindal. “I’m not surprised that we haven’t heard anything yet but we will see.”
Rindal said the Foundation will have a screening process to ensure that those coming were living in areas that were affected by the fires and that they leave a home as it was found.
“We feel like we as Seeley Lakers were helped in our time of need so this is something that we can do to pay it forward,” said Rindal. “At the same time I think it is a win-win for us because we didn’t have a tourist season this year. We can help people out, we can pay it forward and at the same time it might be a boost to our economy. And maybe people will think of us well after the fires.”
Those who are willing to open their homes are asked to please contact the Foundation’s office at 406-677-3506 or contact Rindal at 406-677-3090 or erindal@farmersagent.com
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