Red Cross volunteers provide canteening services to firefighters in Yakima, Washington actively fighting a wildfire in late June, 2023. The Red Cross can provide things like meals, snacks and water for firefighters during an emergency.
In the first week of July, the American Red Cross Northwest Region responded to more than 50 home fires, providing immediate disaster assistance to over 150 individual people across the state of Washington. This activity, in addition to the opening of two wildfire evacuation shelters in western Washington, amount to a staggering level of activity and an example of how the Red Cross is on the frontlines of the climate crisis, supporting families who are struggling to cope with more frequent and intense disasters year after year. This new reality of nearly continuous disasters is stretching the capacity of the Red Cross to provide critical and ongoing support to families when they need it most.
American Red Cross Northwest Regional Disaster Officer Jenny Carkner says this level of fire, in western Washington specifically, is much higher than a normal year. “We are used to ramping up our activity level in eastern Washington, where the wildland fires have historically been,” she said. “Responding to this level of activity in the more densely populated areas requires that we test out our systems for supporting evacuations with shelters and meals in ways that we previously haven’t had to do.”
Between June 29 and July 5, 2023, impacted communities included Bellingham, Buckley, Cashmere, Clarkston, Coeur d Alene, Colfax, Edgewood, Elk, Ephrata, Everett, Forks, Kennewick, Kent, Mount Vernon, Mountlake Terrace, Olympia, Priest River, Puyallup, Seattle, Selah, Spokane, Spokane Valley, Sumner, Sunnyside, Tacoma, Tukwila, White Swan and Yakima.
The climate crisis is disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable — low-income families, older adults, communities of color and people with disabilities. Further, climate-driven disasters are forcing families from their homes, communities and support networks. This is especially dire for those who lack the resources to get back on their feet or already depend on social services, such as food banks or free health clinics.
Over the next several years, the Red Cross aims to grow our disaster workforce, strengthen support networks of partners in high-risk communities, expand recovery assistance for those with the greatest needs, and enhance support services for people who can’t return home.
All Red Cross disaster assistance is free of charge. For more information about the Red Cross, or to sign up and become a volunteer, click here.
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members, and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on Twitter at @RedCross.