Volunteer disaster responders with the American Red Cross of Chicago and Northern Illinois have been busy responding to 22 fires within the past week alone, including incidents in Bradley, Chicago Heights, Harvey, Park City, Rockford, Romeoville and more, with 14 of these fires happening in Chicago.
Since the public health crisis, our volunteers have been responding virtually to fires whenever possible. However, on May 19 Red Cross volunteers were on-site in Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood after an apartment building fire displaced 41 people, including 21 children. The Red Cross provided assistance with lodging, health and mental health services and information about recovery services to 11 families impacted.
In the past week, the American Red Cross helped a total of 117 individuals, including 73 adults and 44 children across the region that were affected by home fires.
In Chicago and Northern Illinois, the Red Cross responds to 3 to 4 home fires every day. If you need assistance, please call our dispatch Line: 1-877-597 0747. You can take two easy steps to protect your home and loved ones from a fire: get a smoke alarm and create a fire escape plan. Having a working smoke alarm cuts the risk of dying in a home fire in half.
Red Cross Responds to Flooding Volunteers with the Red Cross also responded to flooding across various counties in the region, including Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee and Will. Our volunteers helped over 100 residents with temporary housing, food, health and mental health services and information about recovery services.
About the American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois:
The American Red Cross of Chicago & Northern Illinois serves 9.5 million people in 21 counties including Boone, Bureau, Carroll, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Jo Daviess, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, McHenry, Ogle, Putnam, Stephenson, Whiteside, Will and Winnebago. 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 us at redcross.org/IL/chicago or visit us on Twitter @ChicagoRedCross.