COOL, Calif. — As the Mosquito Fire continues to grow, more evacuees are being forced to pack up their cars and leave their homes. It’s a matter of life or death and they know it’s the only option.
Some people are trying to make the best of their situation, but the reality is some people are sleeping in their cars while others are afraid of losing everything they’ve worked for.
“I just feel so helpless. There’s nothing I can do, and I get to thinking about it… what happens when it burns down? Well, I’ve still got my rig so I can go someplace,” said Greg Cole.
He left Georgetown Thursday night to set up camp at the Cool Community Church. It’s since been shut down as an evacuation site.
"As the evacuations were spreading, they started opening up sites that were further out of harm’s way,” said associate pastor Robert Odum.
One of those sites is the Red Cross shelter at Cameron Park. Lissette Thein, her husband and their dog had to leave behind their home in Georgetown.
"That was like our dream home for when we retired. So, we've been actually living there four years now. It's hard to give something up that you've been counting on living in for a while,” said Thein.
Their biggest fear is losing their home and they’re not the only ones.
"I have no plan. It's hard to make plans when you don't know what's going to happen. I think I'll find something more suitable than staying here in a parking lot. I'll go camp somewhere,” said Cole.
Without plans or a home, many are left in limbo while they await what the Mosquito Fire will leave behind.
"My biggest plea right now, would be if you would be praying for our community. I would be so grateful for that,” said Odum.
He says the best way to keep informed is either through social media or the alerts sent out.
Watch more from ABC10: California Wildfires: Mosquito Fire Update - Sept. 8, 2022
