Red Cross Cascades Region sends volunteers and staff to assist those affected by L.A. wildfires
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Fires in Los Angeles County are still raging, burning thousands of acres. Volunteers and staff from the Red Cross Cascades Region, are helping people in this difficult time.
The wildfires, in Los Angeles County, have burned thousands of acres, tearing down homes, memories -- forcing thousands of residents to flee.
16 volunteers and staff from the Red Cross Cascades Region -- consisting of Oregon and southwest Washington -- have been sent, to lend a helping hand.
Darrell Fuller, a volunteer from Keizer, Oregon, arrived on Thursday. He's currently working at a shelter, taking in the devastation.
Fuller said, "This is just a devastating, devastating fire in this county. You can just feel there's a a cloud, if you will, over the city, despite the fact that it's blue skies and 70 degrees right now. It's hard to go anywhere without seeing smoke in the air."
The Red Cross Cascades Region is currently providing shelter, food, health and mental health support for evacuees. Rebecca Marshall, the director of communications spoke of the effect of the fire: "This is a huge disaster. It has a huge human impact."
"We have our volunteers down there supporting 300 American Red Cross volunteers from all over the country, because we know that this is not going to end anytime soon."
The Los Angeles community is leaning on each other, in these desperate times.
Fuller said, "People are coming to our shelters every day. They're bringing supplies. They're asking for shopping list. What can we do to help the people that have been impacted by it as well? So you get to see the disaster, but you also get to see the best of humanity."
Marshall said there are other volunteers and staff on standby, and expects that number to grow.
Red Cross Cascades Region will be working with their partners, for as long as they're needed.
Marshall added,"I think it's important that people know this isn't just we're going down there for a couple of days and we'll be back home. We're committed to the long haul to help people that need our help down there."
