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CALISTOGA, Calif. (KTVU) - Children played in the grass between rows of tents that stretched out over the Napa County Fairgrounds Tuesday, as evacuees continued to wait for word about when they could return to the fire zone and see whether their homes survived the Valley Fire.
"We have to camp here because our house is burned, maybe. Maybe," said Griffin, 7, who looked wistfully at the tent where he is staying with his father and siblings.
In each tent, there is a person or a family who has lost something, or still doesn’t know yet what the final damage is.
So many evacuees say the hardest thing is not being able to go and see their homes for themselves.
Griffin's father Ron Smith says they bought their house in Anderson Springs two years ago and heard the fire burned everything.
They didn't have insurance.
"I tried to get insurance after the other fire, but we couldn't find any anywhere," Swift said.
It's the second loss for him, his four children and his mother-in-law Marsha Conn.
Conn says the children's mother passed away in March from breast cancer. Photos of her and her ashes were left behind in the rush to escape the fire.
The family is among the hundreds of evacuees still waiting to go home, and more keep arriving, signing up with the Red Cross, getting clothing, some shelter, food and supplies.
"I had confirmation today Ponderosa Drive is pretty much gone where I live," said Mike Poncia of Cobb.
Poncia fled from his house with his ATV, boat and photos. He drove to his mother-in-law's place in Middletown, only to have to flee again when the flames began closing in on her house and her neighbor's home.
A few heirlooms were saved. Many more lost.
"I'd like to go home. Bottom line. I want to see one way or another, yeah. Bottom line, just the not knowing, that's why I'm trying to keep myself busy," Poncia said, trying to keep the tears back.
After four days, emotions are stretched thin.
Volunteers who organized donations were upset at one point when the Red Cross told them they must close for liability reasons.
"All we're trying to do here is meet the immediate needs of people. These are people who don't have any clothing. Nothing," said Viri Agapoff, who helped organize some 180 volunteers who had showed up to help. Agapoff and other volunteers met with the Red Cross to figure out a plan to better coordinate their efforts.
Marsha Conn just hopes she can get her mother into a nursing home.
"My mom's 92 and she has dementia," Conn said as she went between watching her grandchildren at their tent and checking on her mother in the main shelter building.
Many people struggled to be strong for their children.
"I try to love them up and keep them and I think if you've got enough love, then you can get through almost everything," Swift said.