Red Cross response to Mendocino Complex Fire

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As of Friday, August 17, 2018, 12:00 p.m.
For information on Red Cross services, call the 2018 Northern California Fire Storms Hotline at 855-558-1116.

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Jordan Innes, 8, is glad that he can be with his pets while he is staying at the Lower Lake High School shelter. (Photo: Virginia Becker, American Red Cross)
For more photos, please go to this Flickr site.
Read some of our client and volunteer stories from this disaster relief operation. 

 California Northwest Chapter Executive Director Jeff Baumgartner address concerns about the Red Cross response in this blog post.

Three weeks after the Mendocino Complex Fire erupted in northern California, the Red Cross is there as communities recover, making sure people get the help they need as they cope with the aftermath of these deadly fires. According to officials, the Mendocino Complex Fire, which includes the River Fire and the Ranch Fire, which is 76% contained, has burned more than 378,000 acres and destroyed 157 homes in Lake County.

Alongside many community members and partners, 374 Red Cross disaster workers, most of whom are volunteers, continue to support to people whose lives have been turned upside-down by these wildfires. To date, Red Cross has:

  • Provided 5,418 overnight shelter stays
  • Served with generous feeding partners more than 24,500 meals and more than 42,000 snacks.
  • Distributed 9,687 clean-up kits, comfort kits, and other disaster emergency supply items.
  • Opened 83 cases helping 189 residents with destroyed or damaged homes.
  • Provided more than 5,400 Health Services contacts and more than 3,000 Mental Health Services contacts.

Disasters like these deadly wildfires create more needs than any one organization can meet on their own. The Red Cross is working with a large team of partners to help residents move through the recovery process by connecting them to critical services and resources they need to get back on their feet.

  • Red Cross caseworkers are meeting one-on-one with people providing them an opportunity to share their needs, ask questions, and—for those who qualify—obtain financial assistance.
  • Red Cross disaster workers are also providing health services such as replacing lost medications and eyeglasses, emotional support and spiritual care.
  • Recovering from a disaster can be a confusing, emotionally draining and complicated process. Red Cross caseworkers are trained to help people create recovery plans and connect people with the services and resources they need.

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(Photo: Albert Becker, American Red Cross)

Related Stories:

See these stories (and maybe a few more) listed by the Mendocino Fire “category” on this blog.

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