Marissa Schneider and Chris Thomas had just checked into their hotel Sunday night and fallen asleep when they were awakened by rustling. The screams followed.
The Kirkland couple were on a nearly week-long trip in Northern California, the first leg of their vacation included hitting some of their favorite Napa wineries. But, on Sunday night they ran for their lives.
“People below us were yelling up saying this isn’t a drill, this isn’t a joke, you need to get your stuff, you need to leave, you need to drive out,” said Schneider. “It was scary. It was much more serious than we initially thought.”
The couple’s hotel, the Silverado Resort and Spa in the Napa Valley, was surrounded by the fast-moving Atlas Peak Fire.