Weber Fire evacuees who decide to take advantage of the American Red Cross resources at Montezuma-Cortez High School will be offered food, a place to sleep, shelter, clothes, medical services and non-alcoholic beverages.
The evacuation center was moved to M-CHS from the performing arts center in Mancos on Monday for two reasons the larger size and the possibility the fire could switch directions toward Mancos.
Ed Bulloch, a Red Cross volunteer who is stationed at M-CHS, said the school could handle more than 400 evacuees.
If by chance the center reaches its capacity, Bulloch said that is when a call would be made to the national chapter to get the ball rolling.
This is plenty of room, and the schools are safe, he said.
He said when an evacuee comes into the center with only the clothes on his or her back, they are given a cot to sleep on with a blanket, pillow and clothing.
As of noon Monday, only one family displaced by the fire was at the center.
Bulloch said evacuees usually tend to stay with families and friends for the first few days after being displaced.
Other evacuees try to ride out the evacuation orders by getting a room at a local motel, but when the money runs out the evacuation center is ready.
Bulloch also mentioned evacuees were given breakfast and were sitting down for lunch at about noon.
Because the high school is serving as the shelter, the Red Cross can cook for the evacuees in the schools kitchen, though Bulloch said they usually have the food brought in to them.
If a person needs a change of clothes, he said it will be provided through clothes the Red Cross has has or with donated clothes.
The son of the one family at the center Monday brought along his basketball and used the gym where the cots were located to shoot hoops.
Besides water, food and clothes, each evacuee receives a personal care kit that includes a toothbrush, toothpaste, shampoo and other necessary toiletries evacuees may have forgotten in the haste to leave their homes.
There is also medical care for the evacuees. Bulloch said a nurse is usually on site, and if not, a medical provider will be on call.
And the donations have been pouring in. Local church groups and one business donated hundreds of bottles of water.
But Bulloch said volunteers can only give so much.
Sometimes they will donate, but there is a limit to what they can do, he said. You can only give away so much.
He said the Red Cross has an agreement with Southern Baptist for meals and other items.
Besides serving as an evacuation center, the center is also fielding questions from evacuees like if it knows of a place where they can take their cattle.
Bulloch said they have a list of people who could provide places for cattle and will provide the contact information, but any agreement would have to be between the evacuee and the property owner, not the Red Cross.
Anyone wishing to donate can either call 317-4010 or come into the high school, and if the donation is not needed at the time the Red Cross will place them on a list in case their donations are needed later.
Local businesses that have donated so far include Walmart, Dennys, McDonalds, Ute Mountain Coffee Shop and Pizza Hut.
Local restaurant Lotsa Pasta has donated food to the firefighters.
Bulloch said dozens of people in the community have also stepped up to the plate, and mentioned while the chapter cannot accept monetary donations, they can accept other types of donations.
Reach Michael Maresh at [email protected]
