How to Help Fire Evacuees Kinkade
As of Tuesday morning, a fire in Kinkade in Sonoma County, California, had spread over 74,000 acres, forcing an estimated 174,000 people to flee their homes. (To date, 49 houses have been destroyed or damaged in its path.) According to tweets by Susie Cagle , a Guardian reporter, some evacuation centers have been forced to evacuate in the face of an escalating fire.
“There is an unimaginable amount of repetitive trauma in this community,” she wrote. “In the best case scenario, these evacuations will also entail huge and lengthy financial costs and affect the future insurance coverage of these areas.” (In Los Angeles, meanwhile, the Getty fire forced thousands of others to evacuate; the fire damaged or destroyed 14 homes, according to the Washington Post , but the fire itself “hasn’t intensified at all” since Monday, the Los Angeles mayor said at a news conference. )
If you would like to help those affected by the Northern California fires but are unable to volunteer or participate locally, here are some ways you can help:
- José Andrés’ worldwide central kitchen currently caters to evacuees and first aid workers following the Kincaida fire. Donations will go towards emergency food aid (not just fires) and long-term “resilience programs”.
- The Disaster Charity Center has created the California Bushfire Recovery Fund CDP 2019 . According to their website, the donations will go towards medium to long-term efforts to clean up the state’s wildfires, including supporting “vulnerable populations” and filling gaps where “government resources are unavailable or insufficient.”
- The Sonoma County Undocufund for Fire Relief will provide assistance to undocumented immigrants affected by the Kinkade fire. “ Approximately 38,500 undocumented immigrants live in Sonoma County,” their website says. “Unlike other victims, undocumented immigrants are not eligible for assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).” The donation will go to affected families, “with the exception of a small percentage used to cover administrative costs.”
- Food Bank Redwood Empire , serving Sonoma County, will accept donations for local hunger relief efforts. “In the coming days, we will meet the needs of more than 200,000 of our neighbors. Donations allow us to buy and distribute the food we need most. ” (Donations may go towards general relief efforts in the area, not just those associated with the Kincaid fire.)
- The Norcal Wildfire Relief Fund will support two local groups that help immigrants and Hispanic families affected by the fire. (According to a 2015 report, the Hispanic community makes up 26.3 percent of the county’s population.) “Both of these organizations received buses with people, many of whom are families of immigrants displaced by fires. They have extensive experience working with Hispanic and immigrant communities and are a trusted source of help and resources. ” When making a donation, be sure to direct your donation to help Northern California.
And if you’re in an area that could be hit by the Kincaid or Getty fires, be sure to keep an eye on the California State website for Air Quality Index information, power outages, and closed roads.