Hundreds of volunteers with the American Red Cross from Central New York and across the country are heading to the Los Angeles area to help those dislocated by the massive fires. Lisa Smith is executive director of the Central and Northern New York chapter. She says their primary role for now is sheltering and feeding people.
“However, that will evolve into other things. Working with local, state and federal officials, we will get into disaster assessment. And unification. We will help families find each other often in situations like this. It's very chaotic and people lose sight of where their family members are.”
Smith says the Red Cross also offers spiritual and mental health support. She says the fires come after volunteers remain on scene at other disaster sites: Some are still working with the victims of the New Orleans attack on New Year’s Day, and the recovery is ongoing from Hurricanes Helene and Milton last fall. Smith says the crisis in Los Angeles is another long-term commitment, and there will likely be more disasters in the meantime.
A Red Cross volunteer looks upon the devastation of charred vehicles and homes in LA County.
“The fires are probably going to reignite in certain areas so the need is going to continue, but it's not just going to be that one and done. We're going to be faced with catastrophes and severe weather and all types of disasters throughout the country continuously.”
Smith says in the past, fire and hurricane disasters were largely seasonal, but now they’re year-round. She says they always need volunteers who are willing to deploy for two to three weeks at a time, and can undergo extensive disaster response training beforehand. More information is available here. For more coverage and to see more dramatic photos from NPR click here.