Volunteer disaster responders with the American Red Cross of Illinois were busy responding to 19 fires from July 27 to today in the Chicagoland area. Our volunteers assisted families affected by home fires in Aurora, Forest Park, Hanover Park, Lakemoor and more, with 10 of these incidents occurring in Chicago.

In this past week, the American Red Cross helped 86 individuals, including 52 adults and 34 children with temporary housing, health and mental health services and information about other resources to recover.

Since this coronavirus pandemic, Red Cross volunteers have been responding virtually to fires whenever possible. If you need assistance, please call our dispatch line: 1-877-597-0747. In Chicagoland, the Red Cross responds to 3 to 4 home fires every day. 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.

Illinois Region Volunteers Deploy to Tropical Storm Isaias
The Red Cross has trained volunteers and pre-positioned shelter and relief supplies ready in advance of the storm in case people need help. Two local volunteers from the Illinois region are among the hundreds of volunteers deploying to help with the response to Tropical Storm Isaias. Kathryn Perry has already deployed to Virginia, while Steve Hilgers will leave this Tuesday, August 4 to assist in a non-congregate shelter in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina.

Isaias is forecast to regain hurricane strength before it reaches the coast of northeastern South Carolina and southern North Carolina. Hurricane conditions are expected by this evening.

HOW TO HELP: You can help people affected by disasters, like storms and countless other crises, by making a gift to American Red Cross Disaster Relief. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from disasters big and small. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS, or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

HELP SAVE LIVES THIS SUMMER Give blood, platelets or plasma—we’re all in this together! Visit redcrossblood.org for more information or to schedule your donation.

About the American Red Cross of Illinois
The American Red Cross of Illinois serves 12.4 million people in 88 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri including Adams, Bond, Boone, Brown, Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Champaign, Clark, Clay, Clinton, Cook, Coles, Christian, Crawford, Cumberland, DeKalb, De Witt, Douglas, DuPage, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Ford, Franklin, Fulton, Green, Grundy, Hamilton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Jasper, Jefferson, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Marion, Marshall, Mason, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Mercer, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Ogle, Peoria, Perry, Piatt, Pike, Putnam, Richland, Rock Island, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, Stark, Stephenson, Tazewell, Vermillion, Warren, Washington, Whiteside, Will, Williamson Winnebago, Woodford. Iowa: Lee, Muscatine, Scott and Van Buren. Missouri: Clark, Lewis, Marion and Ralls. 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/Illinois or visit us on Twitter @RedCrossIL.