By Dana Maze, American Red Cross

The Airport Fire left behind extensive damage in Lake Elsinore, Calif. as the fire destroyed homes, burned cars, knocked over powerlines and covered the area in debris. Once it was deemed safe, American Red Cross damage assessment volunteers stepped in to survey properties and bring help and hope to those in need.

First, damage assessment teams gathered at the Red Cross of Orange County Chapter office to receive training, maps, radios and WiFi hot spots. Once equipped with the necessary training and equipment, volunteers set off to perform damage assessment in the Lake Elsinore community.

“First, we look around the house and property to see what is damaged,” said Red Cross volunteer, Jorge Montero. “Then using an app, we have to put a pin in the property, so the satellite knows where the house is or was. And then we classify the damage."

Montero has deployed seven times doing damage assessment for hurricanes, tornadoes and wildfires, but the Southern California wildfire response is his first local deployment.

“Being local to the area feels like more responsibility,” Montero said. “We have closer ties to the community. We have to make a difference, so they know we’re here for them.”

While surveying properties, damage assessment volunteer, Mark Williams empathized with the pain that comes with losing a home. “I lost everything,” said Williams about a home fire he experienced over 20 years ago. “This work is personal for me. People are experiencing the worst day of their lives and you’re actually able to help them.”

Damage assessment teams play a critical role in the recovery phase of a disaster. The information collected during these assessments guides the Red Cross, government agencies and other nonprofits as they begin issuing assistance to those impacted.

Despite the emotional difficulty that can come with being a damage assessment team member, the importance outweighs the challenges for many volunteers, including Rick Krukowski.

“This is a piece of the recovery journey,” said Krukowski. “It enables us to help people when it’s needed most.”

The work of the Red Cross couldn’t be done without the power of volunteers. If you’d like to bring help and hope to those in need, sign up to become a volunteer at redcross.org/volunteer.