On Thursday, the “Camp” Fire broke out near the town of Paradise in Butte County. Within hours, the town was completely destroyed, leaving dozens dead and nearly 30,000 people homeless. Later that day, the “Hill” and “Woolsey” Fires broke out in Southern California, causing hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate as the Woolsey Fire, in particular, spread with a speed that stunned even those who have been fighting fires their whole lives as it raced towards the Pacific Ocean.
You can help victims of these devastating fires in a number of ways:
- You can donate to the Red Cross by calling 1-800-RED-CROSS or texting REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
- Butte County’s local paper, the Chico Enterprise-Recorder, has this list of ways to help if you are local to the “Camp” Fire.
- You can donate to the California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund here. They support intermediate and long-term recovery efforts for major California wildfires, as well as preparedness efforts.
- You can donate to the California Fire Foundation here. They provide emergency short-term financial assistance to fire and natural disaster victims in California year-round, including both firefighters and civilians.
- You can donate to the United Way, for Northern California here and for Southern California here.
- You can donate directly to victims through GoFundMe’s list of personal fundraisers for fire victims here.
- If you are local to the affected areas, check your city’s social media pages to see if they are having a donation drive for goods or funds.
Aside from donating directly to the organizations above, if you are looking to make a donation to a shelter, consider donating a gift card that can be applied towards what is most needed.
But also, if you are looking to either donate or volunteer at a shelter, make sure to call ahead and ask them what they need/prefer as donations and if/when they need volunteers.
To anyone who was impacted by these horrific fires, we here at McCovey Chronicles want to extend our deepest sympathies and we urge you to reach out to the community if you need anything.
Stay safe, everyone.