Woolsey Fire Evacuees Find Safety at Pierce College

The air carried a subtle stench of smoke emanating from an ominous cloud over the hillside, while sporadic gusts of wind; a reminder of what caused this ordeal, continued to spread all three of Californias wild fires on the morning of November 9. Through it all hope and good spirits remained intact for the people who had taken shelter in the Pierce College North and South Gyms due to the Woolsey Fire.

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Photos By: Zane Meyer-Thornton

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The daugher of the D'Amore family keeps a watchful eye over their family tortoise, Betty at their evacuation center at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California on November 9, 2018. The D'Amore family evacuated their home in Westlake at 2 AM the previous night. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

Evacuees of the Woolsey Fire watch live news to get updates on their homes and neighborhoods at their evacuation center located at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California on November 9, 2018 (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

Evacuees of the Woolsey Fire watch live news to get updates on their homes and neighborhoods and receive nourishment at their evacuation center located at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California on November 9, 2018 (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

Austin Montalvo, a Pierce College student, helps transport supplies from a vehicle to the North Gym where many evacuees of the Woolsey Fire have taken refuge. Austin came to Pierce College on November 9, 2018 with the intent to go to class. When he found out his class was cancelled, he decided to stay around and help evacuees in anyway he could. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

Pierce College employees and volunteers unload a car full of resources for evacuees of the Woolsey Fire who have taken refuge at Pierce College in Woodland HIlls, California on November 9, 2018. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

A volunteer walks by water bottles donated by Juan Mutaz (not pictured), a store manager for a Home Depot located in West Hills, California. The water bottles are readily available for any evacuee of the Woolsey Fire who have taken refuge at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California on November 9, 2018. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

The inside of Pierce College's North Gym has been turned into an evacuation center for people seeking refuge from the Woolsey Fire on November 9, 2018. The college is located in Woodland Hills, California. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

The American Red Cross and State Farm Insurance have set up outside of Pierce Colleges South Gym in Woodland Hills, California on November 9, 2018. The organizations are at the college to provide supplies and support to any person or animal seeking refuge from the Woolsey Fire. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

Irene Geske sets up cots for her family inside of Pierce Colleges North Gym in Woodland Hills, California on November 9, 2018. Irene and her family evacuated their home in Oak Park, California two nights ago, but spent last night at a hotel in Van Nuys, California because it was the only place who would allow access to their dog. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

Penny Stark (left) and Ron Stark (right) relax at an evacuation center located at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California on November 9, 2018 after evacuating their home in Oak Park, California the night before. The started their evacuation with a trip to Kaiser Permanente to get treatment for a pre existing medical condition that Penny has. The couple has lived in Oak Park for the last 50 years and have been evacuated from their home 3 times due to fires, but they refuse to move, because it is their home and they love it. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

Tony D'Amore relaxes with his paralyzed dog, Bogey at an evacuatin center located at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California on November 9, 2018. Tony said that since Bogey cannot move around due to his paralyzation, he was very happy to be at the evacuation center because someone laid around with him all day. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

A dog sits inside of an Animal Safe located at an evacuation center located at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, California on November 9, 2018. Animal Safe's are set up so animal owners have a safe place to leave their pets while they get refreshments and shower. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

People at an evacuation center located at Pierce College in Woodland HIlls, California watch live news to get updates on their homes on November 9, 2018. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

Kiara Baker (6, right) and her grandmother Alicia Koslov (left) make a list of things they are thankful for after taking refuge in Pierce Colleges North Gym in Woodland Hills, California on November 9, 2018. The family was able to have a swift evacuation because they had a motor home packed with supplies for a weekend camping trip, before finding out they had to evacuate their home. (Zane Meyer-Thornton/Corsair Photo)

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Pierce College was a primary evacuation center for those with large animals such as dogs, horses, and even tortoises. Upon arrival, people were greeted by numerous volunteers and organizations like the Red Cross, State Farm Insurance, Farmers Insurance, and Operation Blankets of Love, all gathered to help those affected by the devastating fires. Evacuees had access to food as well as for their pets, and a place to rest and shower. In large, this was made possible by donations from a local Home Depot and Vons grocery store who supplied water, groceries, and supplies to take care of peoples animals.On top of the bare necessities, there were leisurely activities set up for everyone, a movie room for families, and a coloring station for children. 

Cots provided by the Red Cross lined the walls of both the North and South Gyms to accomodate the large number of evacuees who would be taking shelter there. Although people in the gyms were shaken up, hope glimmered throughout. Smiles were given back and forth in a manner which mirrored a small community. No matter where they came from, they could all understand what each other were going through, in this moment of crisis and were supportive to each other.

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Photos By: Jose Lopez

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Stephania D'Amore, from Westlake Village, cares for one of her pets, Bogey the pug, while sitting in the hallway at the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. When asked if she knew if her home was safe, D'amore shared, "The last we heard, there were houses less than a mile from us on fire, but they were in the hills so we don't know. We're just waiting, just waiting. Waiting for the wind to stop." (Jose Lopez)

Stella the French Bulldog (right) stands alert while her owner, Stephania D'Amore (center-back), settles in with the rest of the family and pets at the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. As she waits for a cot, D'more expresses that she is concerned for her pets and wants to get them out of the hallway as soon as possible. She said that she feels exhausted and that this experience has been scary. While D'amore credits the volunteers with being very supportive and coming through with everything that they have promised, she admits that there is some agony in wondering if their home will still be there when they go back. (Jose Lopez)

Volunteers, with Operation Blankets of Love, unload pet supplies getting ready to receive evacuated and rescued animals at the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. (Jose Lopez)

Crystal Segura, with ATT, speaks with evacuees inviting them to charge their phones at the charging station that she is setting up at the Woolsey fire evacuation center at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. (Jose Lopez)

Scott Geske (center), from Oak Park, sits with his family and dog, Jasper, at the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. Geske reflected on how they moved into the neighborhood about 14 years ago during the summer and months later in September they experienced their first fire leading him to wonder, "What kind of decision did we make here?" He went on to say that this fire is much worse than the fire that hit the area when they first moved in due to the stronger wind conditions today, which gave his family less time to evacuate this time around. Geske has been told that his house still stands at this point but that he knows people who were not so lucky and who have lost their homes. (Jose Lopez)

An evacuee tracks the fire in her neighborhood while resting at the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. (Jose Lopez)

An evacuee cares for her husband and family at the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. (Jose Lopez)

Volunteers unload supplies to help care for evacuees at the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. (Jose Lopez)

A volunteer, from Councilmember Bob Blumenfield's office, unloads supplies to help care for evacuees at the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. (Jose Lopez)

An evacuee arrives with his pets at the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. (Jose Lopez)

Evacuees watch the news at the charging station outside the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. (Jose Lopez)

Councilmember Bob Blumenfield speaks to evacuees at the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. (Jose Lopez)

Evacuees listen as authorities share updates on the Woolsey fire in front of the evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. (Jose Lopez)

Jenyce Johnson and her son, from Thousand Oaks, charge their phones and stay connected at the Woolsey fire evacuation center set up at Los Angeles Pierce College on November 9, 2018 in Woodland Hills, Calif. Already shaken by the Borderline Bar & Grill shooting that took place 5 blocks from where she lives and as a student at Moorpark College who is in the middle of studying for exams, Johnson admitted that she was not tuned in to how close the fire was to her home until she was notified by a friend around 1 a.m. to evacuate. As she opened her door to go pack up the car to evacuate, Johnson said, “All you could see was red from the fire and then you could actually see the fire coming down, crawling down, the hill.” While Johnson appeared to be handling things well, she shared that both tragedies are psychologically heavy to deal with and too much to carry all at once. Johnson said, “One tragedy and then another tragedy in the same area is a lot. I thought it was the third safest, quote unquote, city in America, but you know even in the safest places in America ill things can occur.” The last time she checked-in her area was still under a mandatory evacuation, but she has no idea if her home is safe. (Jose Lopez)

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Stephanie D’Amore from West Lake Village, who evacuated to Pierce College with her French Bulldog Stella, and her Pug Bogie, explained she felt exhausted and scared, but found reassurance in the people around her, she explained, "Everybody here has been really cool so its kind of surreal. You come to this and you think its going to be dreadful and there has been a lot waiting for cots. But they’ve come through with everything they’ve promised, and its actually been enjoyable with the people here. Its just the agony of wonder. Is our house still there? Will it still be there? And how long will we be here?”

As the night began to close a briefing by City Council Member Bob Blumenfield, Pierce College President Lawrence G. Buckley, and Benita Trujillo, a District Director for third district county of Los Angeles informed evacuees of low resource counts, as well as the restocking of them. At the moment there is no set time or date for when they can return home.