DENVER, COLO - FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2020 —Tuesday, after 80 days of providing safe shelter for the Colorado and Wyoming wildfire evacuees, the last American Red Cross shelter was closed. Since October, the Red Cross has provided services for those who were affected by the Cameron Peak fire in Larimer County, Colorado, the East Troublesome fire in Grand County, Colorado, the Calwood fire and Lefthand Canyon fire in Boulder County, Colorado and the Mullen Fire in Albany County, Wyoming. 

Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming Wildfire Fire Stats

• 322 disaster workers have deployed both on the ground and in- person to provide support and services. 
• 38,767 overnight stays in 22,220 rooms and 54 hotels were provided.
• 64,774 meals were served alongside our community partners.
• 2,015 cleanup kits and other recovery supplies were distributed.

Red Cross volunteers provide care and comfort on Thanksgiving:

This Thanksgiving, volunteers from the Red Cross of Western Colorado responded to a hotel fire in Alamosa, CO, that displaced over 20 people. Despite the holiday, Red Cross volunteers worked to ensure safe shelter for the evacuees and provided immediate services and recovery support.  

Breakdown of the CO & WY 87 county service area for November 2020: 

The American Red Cross responds to an emergency every eight minutes and 90% of them are local, personal disasters like home fires. Volunteers from our Disaster Action Teams are ready to respond to these local emergencies, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. 

In November, the Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming provided support and care to 171 people. Out of the 71 calls in November, the majority of calls were for home fires.

• Mile High Chapter (MHC) responded to 12 calls for service and helped 32 people. The MHC response area includes ten counties in the Denver Metro area.
• Southeastern Colorado Chapter (SECO) responded to 13 calls for service and helped 35 people. The SECO response area includes 16 counties.
• Northern Colorado Chapter (NOCO) responded to 11 calls for service and helped 26 people. The NOCO response area includes 11 counties.
• Western Colorado Chapter (WECO) responded to 31 calls for service and helped 64 people. The WECO response area covers 27 counties, serving all Western Colorado and the San Luis Valley.
• Wyoming Chapter (WYO) responded to four calls for assistance and provided care to 14 people. The WYO response area covers 21 counties in the state of Wyoming. 

COVID-19

The coronavirus pandemic puts additional stress on families seeking support after disaster, which is why we have plans in place to reduce risks—such as social distancing protocols, face coverings, health screenings and prioritizing individual hotel rooms. The safety of our workforce and the communities we serve continues to be our priority. The Red Cross follows all CDC guidance, and we work closely with local health officials to safely provide help and hope when disasters strike.  

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 and photos, please visit https://cowyredcrossblog.org/ or visit us on Twitter at @cowyredcross.