Volunteers Welcome During Jesusita Fire
How You Can Help
As Sheriff Bill Brown and Santa Barbara County Fire Chief Tom Franklin drove away from this morning’s 8 a.m press conference, the Jesusita Fire’s effect on the entire community intensified. Fire officials are reporting that approximately 30,000 people have been evacuated, and another 16,000 who live within the evacuation warning zone face possible evacuation today. This community crisis calls for a community response.
For those whose homes are as yet unaffected, here are a few ways you can help:
The Red Cross needs volunteers. Starting at 9 a.m. Friday, May 8, trainings will be running continuously until the need for volunteers subsides. Trainings will take place at the Goleta Valley Community Center, 5679 Hollister Avenue, Goleta. Call 687-1331 for more information.
Donate to the Santa Barbara Chapter of the American Red Cross to support their disaster relief services for the entire community. To donate, visit sbredcross.org.
Host evacuees in your home. If you have friends or family in need of temporary housing, help ease the burden on Red Cross shelters by putting them up in your home.
Conserve water. The best use of the city’s water resources is to fight the fire. Avoid watering lawns, washing cars, or any such high water use activities.
If you do evacuate, here’s what to do:
Obey law enforcement. If your home is in a mandatory evacuation zone, leave immediately. If you live within an evacuation warning area, be prepared to leave at any moment. If you feel threatened, evacuate now; do not wait for a reverse 911 call or a knock on your door.
When evacuating, keep roads clear and keep moving. Do not stop on roads; you may be obstructing emergency vehicles.
The shelter at Dos Pueblos High School is full, and is no longer accepting evacuees. Those seeking temporary shelter should go to UCSB’s Multi Activities Court (MAC) within the Recreation Center, at the intersection of Mesa and Ocean Roads. Click here for driving directions. Alternatively, contact friends or family for temporary housing.
