How To Help Victims Of California Wildfires

CALIFORNIA – A half-dozen California wildfires, fueled by strong winds and dry weather, have ripped through the state burning more than 225,000 acres and hundreds of structures in just a few day's time. The flames have killed a record-breaking 44 people, destroyed thousands of structures and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate across the Golden State.

Northern and Southern Californians are now facing serious threats from flames, smoke and ash as they flee their neighborhoods – and some are left with nothing, their homes reduced to heaping piles of ash and charred remnants of their belongings. However, there are ways to help the fire victims.

Here are some other ways to help victims of the Northern and Southern California wildfires:

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For those in neighboring cities and counties, Airbnb has initiated their Open Homes Program, where hosts can volunteer their listings to temporarily house victims, volunteers and first responders for free.

The non-profit California Fire Foundation is also accepting donations to distribute emergency funds to fire victims statewide.

Northern California:

Volunteer: To help the Camp Fire victims in Butte County, those nearby can volunteer by contacting Caring Choices at 530-899-3873 or visiting them at 1398 Ridgewood in Chico.

Donate Money: "Yes, money is the greatest need," said Logan Todd, director of communications and grant programs for the Chico-based North Valley Community Foundation, which is collecting money to help fire evacuees and the organizations sheltering them.

Some of the organizations accepting monetary donations are:

• The North Valley Community Foundation
• California State Firefighters Association, collecting money for firefighters who have lost their homes in the Camp Fire.
• The Enloe Foundation, a branch of the Enloe Medical Center in Chico. The money will help hospital patients, and their families and caregivers, who have lost their homes or been displaced due to the fire.
• The Salvation Army is taking money donations to support shelters and other services for fire evacuees.
• The Chico-based nonprofit Caring Choices is working to organize volunteers to help those affected by the Camp Fire
• The American Red Cross is opening service centers in Santa Rosa and Napa to help victims of the Camp Fire. Click here for more information. The Red Cross also is providing blood, as needed, in the fire zone. Red Cross blood donation centers are in Oakland, Berkeley, San Jose, Newark, San Francisco, Pleasant Hill and other cities. For more information, visit https://www.redcrossblood.org.

Donate Supplies: The Hope Center in Oroville, located at 1950 Kitrick Ave Ste. A, is taking donations. They need warm clothes, shoes, socks and coats, according to ABC7. Their hours are Friday and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Southern California:

Volunteer: Volunteer with the Red Cross through phone calls, data entry and client registration, shelter support and replenishing supplies. Volunteer applications are available on their website.

Donate Money: There are a multitude of organizations accepting monetary donations to go towards helping victims of the Hill and Woolsey fires, including:

• The Ventura County Community Foundation, which has established the Hill Fire/Woolsey Fire Sudden and Urgent Needs Effort Fund to support the immediate needs of community nonprofit organizations serving those affected by the wildfires.
• The Humane Society of Ventura County
• The Red Cross is accepting donations
• The United Way of Greater Los Angeles has established a Disaster Relief Fund for the wildfires; their efforts specifically help homeless and low-income individuals recover after fires and other natural disasters in the area.
• The Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation's Noah's Legacy Fund will be used to buy food, shelter and medical care for dogs, cats, horses and other domesticated animals sheltered during the fires.
• The Salvation Army Ventura Corps is accepting monetary donations to support their wildfire relief efforts by providing necessities to fire victims and first responders.

Donate Supplies: The Humane Society of Ventura County is also looking for supplies, including 40-gallon horse water troughs and horse electrolytes. Donations can be dropped off at the shelter, located at 402 Bryant St. in Ojai.

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Bay City News Service contributed to this post; Photo: PARADISE, CA - NOVEMBER 09: Cars destroyed by the Camp Fire sit in the lot at a used car dealership on November 9, 2018 in Paradise, California. Fueled by high winds and low humidity, the rapidly spreading Camp Fire ripped through the town of Paradise and has quickly charred 70,000 acres and has destroyed numerous homes and businesses in a matter of hours. The fire is currently at five percent containment. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)