Red Cross News Release - Evacuation Shelter Closing
Incident: Wenatchee Complex Wildfire
Released: 9/25/2012
The Apple Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross is closing the evacuation shelter at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on 5th and Western. All evacuation levels in the Wenatchee Valley have been dropped to a level 2 or lower and the shelter has had zero residents over the last 24 hours.
Resources from the Red Cross shelter are being relocated to support the filtered air shelter being opened and operated by the Chelan Douglas Health District at the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Waterville. The shelter location was chosen by the Chelan Douglas Health District, who will be responsible for the facility. The Red Cross is providing volunteers and supplies to assist with dormitory management and feeding. The Health District has installed air filters for this shelter and they will be monitoring air quality in the shelter.
This shelter has been established by the Chelan Douglas Health District to support individuals whose health is being affected by the poor air quality in the Wenatchee Valley. They have set up an information line for anyone looking for more information, to be activated on Wednesday September 26th. Link transit serves the Waterville area and they have added a stop at the Fairgrounds to their route. This shelter will be open as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday September 25th.
The shelter at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on 5th and Western (Wenatchee) first opened Sunday, September 9th in response to level 3 evacuations placed on various areas throughout the Wenatchee Valley. American Red Cross volunteers staffed the shelter 24 hours a day with a brief period of stand down on September 18th. A shelter was opened on Wednesday September 12th in Lake Chelan for residents affected by fires in the north county. This shelter was closed on September 24th.
To date the American Red Cross has served 545 meals and 3,330 snacks for firefighter and evacuees during the Wenatchee Complex and Table Mountain fires.
The community is encouraged to continue to support the work of the Red Cross by making a donation to Disaster Relief online at http://www.redcross.org/, over the phone with a credit card by calling (509) 663-3907, or in person at the Chapter office (12 Orondo Ave., Wenatchee).
HOW PEOPLE CAN HELP Those who want to help can make a donation to support those affected by the fires in Washington as well as wildfires across the US this summer by making a donation to American Red Cross Disaster Relief by visiting http://www.redcross.org/ or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.People can also text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Contributions may also be sent to local American Red Cross chapters at 12 Orondo Ave, Wenatchee WA 98801. The Red Cross is unable to accept small, individual donations of goods or collections of items such as clothing, food, toys, furniture, medical or cleaning supplies.
