Red Cross assists the evacuated at Beaumont High School

Beaumont High School is the evacuation point for the residents impacted by the Apple Fire.

“We check them in and assess their needs,” John Medina with the American Red Cross tells News Channel 3 that people are given water, snacks and bathroom facilities. A Red Cross nurse is also available.

However, Medina said doing their job during a pandemic brings some added challenges.

“The biggest challenge and if you talk to any red crossers, we’re used to the close contact,” he said. “I mean that’s part of the recovery of a disaster is that you have to show warmth and love and caring and that’s hard when you’re standing six feet away so that’s the biggest challenge,” he added.

Overnight some people were moved to local hotels and today they wait in the Beaumont High School parking lot until they get word that it's safe to return.

Bill Boehm doesn’t live in Cherry Valley however, he helped his mom and her three horses and dogs evacuate.

“The flames were pretty close, I mean the planes and helicopters were flying right overhead so we said let’s get these animals and get out of here and it sounded like between us and other volunteers that they had gotten all the animals out of that one road," Boehm said.

Boehm said despite living in a pandemic people weren’t hesitant to come together to help each other out.

“I mean everyone seemed to be wearing masks and such so that type of precaution was still going on but everyone was primarily there to help people and everyone’s got livestock up in Cherry Valley so everyone was sensitive to get them out," Boehm said.