Thousands of people in Valley Center are still under an evacuation order, as the Poomacha fire continues to threaten the North County community. KPBS Reporter Kenny Goldberg checked in with residents seeking shelter in Valley Center High School.
Inside the school gym, volunteers take fresh cots out of the box. More than 450 people are crammed in here. Cots are lined up from sideline to sideline on top of the basketball court.
14-year-old Scott Utter and his family had to evacuate their Valley Center home early Tuesday morning. They've been in the gym since then. Scott says his family is doing fine. So they're trying to help others in the shelter.
Utter : Well, we're taking food to the elderly, and taking food to the people that can't walk.
One of the people Scott's been helping is Wynona Bohannon.
Bohannon : Scotty has really been wonderful. He's been helping me walk my dog, because I can't do a lot of things. Everything that he's asked to do he's doing. He's keeping track of his brothers and sister and everything. He's a good boy.
Bohannon says so far, her house is okay. She's all in one piece, and so is her 11-year-old dog, Rex.
Rex : I mean, why worry about things until you have something to worry about. That's always been my philosophy. My husband taught me that, ha, ha, ha. And it's a good philosophy.
Fire safety officials say they don't know when residents of Valley Center will be able to go home. The American Red Cross expects to keep the shelter open through Friday.
Kenny Goldberg, KPBS News.
