Wildfires Out:Help 4Victims by Liora Leah Blog entry

The Southern California wildfires have been contained, and true to form, there is scant news since yesterday--when the fires rage, the media is awash in fire coverage. As soon as the fires are out, it's forgotten by almost all of the public except those who have lost their homes. How to help:

Date: 11/20/2008 12:43:29 PM ( 16 y ) ... viewed 2263 times

How to help and where to get help:

On Tuesday November 18, President Bush declared Southern California a disaster area, freeing up federal aid to areas ravaged by the wildfires, including Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties.

FEMA donation information: http://www.aidmatrixnetwork.org/fema/

Red Cross donations: http://redcrossla.org/

Los Angeles Fireman's Relief Association: http://www.lafra.org/index.cfm?section=1

Los Angeles Mental Health Counseling for Fire Victims:

The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health is offering free crisis counseling to victims of the Sayre and Freeway Complex fires.

Sayre fire victims can seek help at the San Fernando Valley Mental Health Center on Balboa Boulevard in Granada Hills or the West Valley Mental Health Center on Canoga Avenue in Canoga Park.

Victims of the Freeway Complex fire can go to the Arcadia Mental Health Center on 330 East Live Oak Avenue in Arcadia.

Each of the centers will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. For after-hours services, contact the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health's ACCESS Center at (800) 854-7771. The ACCESS Center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-mental18-2008nov18,0,3349179.story

Orange County Local Assistance Center:

A Local Assistance Center for victims of the wildfire in Orange County has been established at East Anaheim Gymnasium, 8165 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road.

The center will provide state and local services for people who have been displaced by the wildfire or have lost homes or property.

Representatives from the Governor's Office of Emergency Services and various state, local and community organizations will be on hand to provide information on various services.

The center will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting Tuesday November 18

More information is available by calling (714) 764-3100.

http://www.ktla.com/content_landing_page/?Fast-Moving-Triangle-Complex-Fire-4...

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http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fireday4-pg,0,2893965.photogallery?in...

Big Burn

The Los Angeles Times explores the growth and cost of wildfires:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-fire-index,0,4857752.htmlstory

1. Big Fires, Big Business: by Bettina Boxall and Julie Cart

A century after the government declared war on wildfire, fire is gaining the upper hand. Wildland blazes are growing bigger, fiercer and harder to put out. Firefighting costs are rising, too, and much of the money is going to private contractors. Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wildfires27-2008jul27,0,4093174.story

2. Political Meddling and Costly Air Shows By Julie Cart and Bettina Boxall

Fire commanders are often pressured to order firefighting planes and helicopters into action even when they won't do any good. The reason: Aerial drops of water and retardant make good television. They're a visible way for political leaders to show they're acting decisively to quell a fire. Firefighters call them "CNN drops." Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wildfires29-2008jul29,0,5666042.story

3. Living In Fire's Embrace: By Bettina Boxall

More and more Americans are moving into fire-prone canyons and woodlands. The settings are picturesque but road networks are often inadequate. In a wildfire, everyone may not be able to get out safely. Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wildfires31-2008jul31,0,292076.story

4. Lost Landscapes By Bettina Boxall

From Frederic Remington paintings to Gene Autry songs and John Wayne movies, the cultural imagery of the West is steeped in sagebrush. Now, a devastating cycle of fire, fueled by non-native plants, is wiping sagebrush from vast stretches of the Great Basin. Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wildfires2-2008aug02,0,635850.story

5. Stay and Fight By Julie Cart

Wildfire is a pervasive danger in Australia, just as in much of the Western U.S. But Australians cope with the threat very differently than Americans do. Rather than rely on professional firefighters to protect their lives and property, many Australians do it themselves. Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wildfires3-2008aug03,0,1422284.story