LOS ANGELES, NOVEMBER 18, 2018 – The American Red Cross will close evacuation shelters at Pierce College and Palisades Charter High School, effective Sunday. Red Cross caseworkers are meeting with each shelter resident to offer them a transitional recovery plan. 

Red Cross emergency shelters are designed to meet the immediate, short-term needs of impacted residents until long-term efforts can get underway. As Los Angeles county communities begin to recover from the Woolsey and Hill Wildfires, the Red Cross is meeting one-on-one with any affected residents and providing an individualized transitional recovery plan.

Disaster Assistance Centers for Woolsey Fire Victims are now open. The centers will be closed on Thanksgiving Day and on Sundays. Visit lacounty.gov/WoolseyFire for more information.

Malibu Courthouse - 23519 W Civic Center Way, Malibu, CA 90265

Hilton Foundation Building - 30440 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills CA 91301

Red Cross response vehicles will continue to deliver emergency supplies to areas affected by the wildfires that have scorched more than 96,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,100 structures and damaged 300. The California Fire Department has estimated the Woolsey Fire is now 88% contained and expects the fire to be fully contained by November 22nd. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP Help people affected by the California wildfires by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS or texting the word CAWILDFIRES to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Donations enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from these disasters.

KEEP IN TOUCH It’s important to keep in touch with loved ones during an emergency. The Red Cross has two ways people can let others know they are okay. The Red Cross Safe and Well website is a free public reunification tool that allows individuals and organizations to register and post messages to indicate that they are safe, or to search for loved ones. The site is always available and open to the public and available in Spanish. Registrations and searches can be done directly on the website. Registrations can also be completed by texting SAFE to 78876. Messages exist in both Spanish and English. Watch this video for more information,

The free Emergency App mentioned above also includes an “I’m Safe” feature you can also use to let others know about your current situation.

DOWNLOAD RED CROSS APPS The Red Cross app “Emergency” can help keep you and your loved ones safe by putting vital information in your hand for more than 35 different severe weather and emergency alerts. The Red Cross First Aid App puts instant access to information on handling the most common first aid emergencies at your fingertips. Download these apps by searching for ‘American Red Cross’ in your app store or at redcross.org/apps.

WILDFIRE SAFETY STEPS

Returning Home & Recovering after a Wildfire:

• Do not enter your home until fire officials say it is safe.
• Use caution when entering burned areas as hazards may still exist, including hot spots, which can flare up without warning.
• Avoid damaged or fallen power lines, poles and downed wires.
• Watch for ash pits and mark them for safety—warn family and neighbors to keep clear of the pits also.
• Watch animals closely and keep them under your direct control. Hidden embers and hot spots could burn your pets’ paws or hooves.
• Follow public health guidance on safe cleanup of fire ash and safe use of masks.
• Wet debris down to minimize breathing dust particles.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.