California wildfires: Area volunteers to assist with recovery

A team of five Red Cross volunteers from the Dayton-Cincinnati region has left for California to assist with the wildfires recovery, officials said Tuesday.

Five volunteers may seem like a small group, given the magnitude of the wildfires, but it’s significant in Red Cross terms, said Marita Salkowski, regional communications and marketing director for the American Red Cross of Greater Cincinnati-Dayton Region

“Think of ripples in the water,” she said. “Typically, areas closest to the disaster responds first, then depending on the scope of the disaster the response widens. The fact that this region has sent five volunteers and will undoubtedly send more to California gives you an idea of the scope of this disaster.”

To date, the fire, which started in the town of Paradise and has been burning for more than a week, has killed 42 people and destroyed more than 71,000 structures, including 6,453 homes, according to media reports. In addition, more than 200 people are missing in and around the town of Paradise, the local sheriff has said.

We will continue to monitor the story and let you know if more volunteers from the Dayton-Cincinnati are sent to California.

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