As we reported last month, San Pablo’s mayor has been fundraising to provide motorhomes for people who lost their homes in the devastating Camp Fire in Butte County.
Today, we learned Mayor Rich Kinney’s “Motorhomes 4 Fire Victims” drive has successfully donated a second motorhome that will house four survivors.
Tammy and Jeff, who both lost their homes in the fast-moving Paradise Camp fire, will share their newly donated motorhome with two senior citizens in their 80s: Tammy’s mother, and a man to whom she provides home care. The motorhome was provided by Bruce Adair of El Sobrante.
In a video filmed from inside their motorhome, Tammy and Jeff recounted their harrowing experiences the day the fires erupted and devastated their Paradise community. Tammy said she was lucky to have owned a police scanner. That’s the only way she would have known about the fast-moving fires that began Nov. 8, she says. While evacuating, she recalled driving for over 4 hours to travel about 4 miles, during which time the air was blackened by the fires burning on both sides of the road.
“It was so scary,” she said. “There were balls of fire flying through the air, and it sounded like sparklers going off….I don’t ever want to experience anything like that again.”
Tammy and Jeff are grateful to have made it out with their lives. The Camp Fire, which began Nov. 8, caused 86 deaths and was named the most destructive wildfire in history. The donation of the motorhome will provide stable shelter until they can get back on their feet, Tammy and Jeff say.
It was the San Pablo mayor’s second donation of a motorhome to Camp Fire victims. Kinney raised funds to provide one to Bill Crossley, a former Richmond resident who moved to Paradise, and his girlfriend Judy Floyd. Their story of survival in the Camp Fire was recounted in a very good piece by the Richmond Confidential.
Donating motorhomes is not a new idea for Kinney. Last year, he was able to get two motorhomes donated for fire victims of the Santa Rosa Fire. He found the RV Dealer who donated them and gave them to the victims. This year, the mayor hasn’t been able to find any donated motorhomes so he has been fundraising, Mayor Kinney said, adding that Mechanics Bank helped on the first one with a $2,500 donation.
For those interested in donating toward this effort, go here: www.apostlecity.com.
