An evacuation shelter opened Thursday at College of the Canyons’ east gym in Valencia to assist those displaced by the Canyon Fire.
According to Tim Honadel, director of International Services and Programs at COC, evacuees can bring small pets but must have them kenneled outdoors. He added that large animals in trailers can be parked at parking lot eight on campus.
Mimi Teller, communications manager for the Los Angeles region of the American Red Cross, said the evacuation center will be open 24/7. It offers three meals a day for evacuees, showers, toiletries and other care as needed.
“We had a population of nine people last night, no pets,” Teller said during a telephone interview Friday afternoon. “Currently, the population is at zero because I believe most everyone is at work — at least that’s our assumption. We don’t know who will come back this evening.”
Teller added that the Red Cross provides disaster health services for issues like smoke inhalation or injuries sustained during evacuation, as well as mental health support for disaster-related and general stress.
Evacuees should register upon arrival at the shelter. During registration, they’ll be asked about any health concerns. Anyone affected by the fire is encouraged to use the shelter and take advantage of its available services.
“We are a neutral organization,” Teller said. “They don’t have to prove any sort of status of anything other than they were an affected resident.”
College of the Canyons in Valencia is located at 26455 Rockwell Canyon Road.
