Anderson Springs is an unincorporated community in Lake County, California, United States. It is located at an elevation of 1411 feet (430 m).
Location
The community is located approximately four miles north of Middletown,Homepage of Anderson Springs Homeowners Association (accessed 14 Sep 2015) in southwestern Lake County, from Calistoga. It lies at above sea level.
According to the Anderson Valley Homeowners Association, the permanent population in 2004 was 403, with a seasonal population high of 986.Anderson Valley Homeowners Association (2004). Welcome to Anderson Springs (accessed 14 Sep 2015)
History Anderson Springs were discovered in 1873, when the Anderson family took possession. They became a popular resort.South Lake County History, Anderson Springs (accessed 14 Sep 2015) As of 1914 they were owned by Miss Barbara Anderson, who had a hotel that could accommodate more than 100 people. Eight of the springs were in active use. Cold Sulphur was below the hotel and had a temperature of . The others were mostly above the hotel: Iron, ; Sour, ; Bellmer, ; Magnesia (or Father Joseph), ; Hot Sulphur and Iron, ; Iron and Magnesia, ; Steam Bath, . A considerable amount of hydrogen sulfide gas escapes from the last two.
2015 Valley Fire In September 2015, Anderson Springs was devastated in the Valley Fire, which caused two fatalities and destroyed 90% of the town's homes, leaving most community members homeless. More than 1,000 people were living in shelters.Anderson Springs Community Recovery (17 September 2015) Recovers.org
A video that was widely disseminated on the internet shows a man and his family escaping the area in his car, with fires burning on either side of the road.Ron Dicker (14 Sep 2015). Driver's Escape From Wildfire Is A Ride Through Hell Huffington Post (accessed 14 September 2015) The man had been driving a diesel van at the head of his family's 3-car convoy to escape from a house built in the 1930s by his great-grandfather. His mother, Sally Wolf, part of the escape party, said that they had never received the evacuation order, and had not seen flames from their house until "we rounded one last corner and then it was completely engulfed in flames and there was nothing we could do".
The community has started to organize cleanup and rebuild soon after the fire and numerous fundraisers have been created on platforms like GoFundMe to help finance the works.
References
Sources
External links
Anderson Springs Community Alliance Escaping Anderson Springs during Valley Fire (YouTube)