Evan Ashmore and some of her fellow Big Creek community members were gathered at the local helipad on Sept. 4 in the evening where they could see a tree on fire in the canyon about a mile away. That night, Ashmore put her two sons to bed, but soon woke them up as fire officials moved to evacuate the small town of 175 people as the fire quickly spread.

“No one slept the entire night,” she said.

Today, the Creek Fire has grown to more than 290,000 acres with 34% containment.

Ashmore and her family are now staying with her sister-in-law in Clovis. Although her home is safe, her car, trailer and garage were destroyed.

“Our family was getting ready to go backpacking when we got a call from our friend” about a possible fire in the area, she said. “We are safe, but the fire scorched right up to our door.”

Ashmore, like about half of the local community here, is an employee of Southern California Edison, owner of the Big Creek Hydroelectric Plant. She works for the utility’s Environmental Operations department as an environmental specialist managing hazardous materials and environmental permits.

As word quickly spread about the devastating wildfire, inquiries from coworkers and the nearby community started pouring in on ways people could help, whether through monetary or in-kind donations.

“Big Creek is a very special place and people care deeply about it,” she said. “A lot of people are reaching out and trying to help out.”

Ashmore and her coworkers recently launched a company-sponsored Big Creek community fundraiser through Oct. 2, where in-kind donations can be made at various Edison facilities. Monetary donations can also be made to the Sierra Foundation and to the Big Creek Volunteer Fire Department to support the local fire department.

Although the in-kind donations are restricted to SCE employees, customers and the general public can make monetary donations to the two nonprofits here: sierra.foundation and gf.me/u/yw8dw6.

Donations, both monetary and in kind, are already starting to pour in. Although many immediate needs have already been met, they are looking for longer-term donations such as gift cards to Amazon, Target and Walmart, new kids’ toys, small household items and boxed furniture, winter gear such as boots and gloves and tools such as shovels and wheelbarrows.

“People have been amazing,” she said.

In the past couple of weeks, Ashmore has returned to the Big Creek area since part of her SCE job is to collect samples for possible asbestos and lead contamination. She has avoided some of the heavily damaged areas, the devastation too raw for her still.

“In most areas, they are still not allowing people back into the area,” she said, noting that cleanup and repairs are still weeks away.

Ashmore is grateful to her coworkers and the support they have received from the company in the ongoing Big Creek fundraising efforts.

“I feel extremely blessed to be part of this. So many neighbors have been devasted by this fire,” she said. “It is good to be part of the healing.”