As wildfires continue to burn in California, local fairgrounds are fulfilling their mission to offer resources during times of crisis by providing shelter for people and animals as well as base camp facilities for firefighters.
The fairs that have provided assistance are – Santa Cruz, Sonoma-Marin, Napa, Alameda, Salinas Valley, Sonoma County, Plumas-Sierra, Tehama, Modoc, Lassen, Los Angeles, Solano, Glenn, San Mateo, Antelope Valley, Siskiyou Golden, Monterey County, Silver Dollar (Chico), the Napa Valley Exposition, the Dixon May Fair, the Mother Lode Fairgrounds (Sonora), the Cow Palace (San Francisco), and the Calaveras County Fair and Jumping Frog Jubilee.
Evacuees are being housed in fairgrounds buildings as well as on-site RV parks, and animals being sheltered have included horses, cattle, llamas, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, ducks, geese, mules and peacocks.
Nine of the fairgrounds listed are hosting fire crews.