World Renew Planning Response to California Fires

Three wildfires driven by strong winds tore into residential areas of California recently, killing dozens of people and causing thousands of people to flee their homes and businesses.

One of the fires, the Hill Fire, has been contained, while the Woosley Fire is expected to be contained by Nov. 22 and the devastating Camp Fire by the end of the month.

But now rain is predicted that can cause mudslides.

In the Camp Fire, the town of Paradise burned to the ground. The current death toll is 81, with nearly 700 people still missing.

World Renew's Disaster Response Services (DRS) regional managers based in northern California are monitoring the disaster and connecting with local and state response partners as officials and rescue teams continue to search for survivors as well as those who died.

The Camp Fire has destroyed 150,000 acres of land and forced the evacuation of more than 52,000 people. Several thousand are in emergency shelters and more than 17,000 structures have been destroyed.

The Hill and Woolsey fires, located between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara have burned thousands of acres of land and destroyed more than 1,500 homes. Reports state that more than 300,000 people statewide have left their homes and 170,000 have been evacuated overall. Full containment of the Woosley fire, in which at least three people died, is expected by Nov. 22.

The Hill fire, in which no one died, is now contained after burning nearly 5,000 acres. Fire investigators say they are looking into whether someone started this fire

With a federal emergency declaration enacted, residents will receive funding for clean-up and recovery.

World Renew responds to disasters in areas of poverty, prioritizing those who are elderly, who live with a disability, or who are under- or uninsured.

First responders have weeks of work ahead of them; please pray for their safety and endurance. Pray also for the thousands of people whose homes and lives are disrupted.

In these early days, World Renew is laying a foundation to help in subsequent recovery efforts through unmet needs assessments, home repairs, and more, after the fires are extinguished and communities begin to regroup after the initial damage.