NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH)– Armond Patrino and his wife live in Napa about a mile away from where the fires are burning. They left California to stay with their daughter in Connecticut until it is safe to go back.
Patrino said, “Everybody had to bug out so quickly there was lack of communication with the cell towers going down, hopefully most of those people are in shelters.”Related Content: California fires: Searchers seek hundreds of missing
The massive fires have burned through 265 square miles since breaking out Sunday night. “It was gusting. It was blowing about 45-50 MPH and then gusting and I’m estimating maybe 70 MPH you couldn’t stand up in it, you couldn’t stand up in the gusts unless you were holding onto something,” said Patrino. Emily Wood is concerned about the people in her hometown. She just moved to Connecticut from Napa.
Emily added, “Friends parents have had to evacuate and it is just minute by minute the story is changing.” Wood said, “What also is hard is the communication. the cell service is nonexistent, all the towers are down so it’s been really hard to contact people.Related Content: At least 21 dead in horrific California wildfires, hundreds missing
Emily said she feels helpless not being able to help her friends who live there.
“Devastating to see my hometown going through this. There are a lot of landmarks that have been there my entire childhood that have burned down,” said Wood.