Sonoma Senior Center Accused Of Leaving Residents During Fire

SONOMA COUNTY, CA -- Two retirement centers in Sonoma County are accused of leaving behind residents as the deadly Tubbs Fire scorched through the region last October. Named one of the most destructive wildfires in California history, the blaze burned more than 36,000 acres and killed at least 22 people.

The New York Times reported the California Department of Social Services filed a complaint against two nursing homes in the region, claiming the workers failed to evacuate all the residents.

At the Villa Capri nursing home, 20 residents were left behind because staff members were unprepared for the fire, the Times reported.

"The complaint described staff members who had never participated in a fire drill, did not know the evacuation plan, could not find flashlights or batteries when the power went out and did not know where to find the keys to a bus that could have helped in the evacuation," the Times reported.

Newsweek reported "the report found that at least three residents had never been evacuated from the Varenna facility (a separate facility) during the fire, and workers who found them the next morning lied about it."

Newsweek also reported that relatives of the residents arrived to help them evacuate.

Oakmont Senior Living, the company that owns the accused senior centers, did not immediately respond to Patch for comment but has a webpage defending its actions. On the webpage, the company said "More than 400 residents were evacuated from the four Oakmont buildings and there were no fatalities."

Moving forward, the company wrote, "Lessons learned include identifying appropriate evacuation sites and forging strong ties with other senior living providers, which can provide assistance and alternative housing for residents displaced by a disaster."

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