Itâs a destructive and exhausting wildfire season, again. Already more than 100,000 residents around the Bay Area have been forced out of their homes in emergency evacuations as crews battle massive wildfires in the North Bay, East Bay and South Bay.
Do you know someone who lost their home in a fire? There are many things you can do to help â right away, in a few weeks and even a year from now. That help can range from simply offering moral support to cold, hard cash, to pitching in on errands.
Families can lose all their material possessions in a fire, from everyday necessities like clothing and computers to cherished memories contained in photos or diaries and essential documents like passports and birth certificates. The recovery process isnât only about reacquiring things â it also involves months of slogging through the bureaucracy of insurance companies and government agencies and slowly rebuilding a sense of home and security. Survivors can use help with all of it.
âIt was kindness from those near and far, friends and strangers, that created beauty in the midst of ugliness and healing in the midst of despair,â wrote Carolynn Spezza, who lost her home to the 2015 Valley Fire in Lake County.
Immediate Necessities
In the immediate aftermath of a fire, people need the basics: a toothbrush, toilet paper, phone chargers, pain medication â although if theyâre staying in a hotel, some of these might be covered.
Other basic items needed right away? Clean socks, underwear and a change of clothes.
Items like shoes and jackets are helpful, but a little trickier. You can give away a bag of clothes, but unless you know someoneâs size (and maybe fashion taste) you may not want to give them too much stuff that theyâll have to spend precious time sorting through.
In the weeks following the disaster, offering to shop for clothing together or giving a gift card are good options.
A Place to Stay
This one is pretty obvious. But the coronavirus pandemic does complicate matters, as questions about how to stay socially distant or potentially invite additional members into a “pod” will need to be a part of this conversation among all household members and fire survivors â especially since fire survivors won’t likely be able to quarantine for 14 days before joining a household.
âFind them immediate housing; put out the call for longer term housing,â says Kim Anderson, whose San Francisco apartment burned in a 2016 fire.
Buy Groceries or Make a Meal
Offer to make a grocery run. Depending on whether the fire survivor has access to a refrigerator and kitchen, you might want to get foods that are non-perishable or ready-made.
Cook up a hot dinner and deliver it around mealtime. Or give a gift card to a local restaurant for a COVID-19-safe pickup, or to a meal delivery service that can bring takeout to wherever theyâre staying.
Help With Debris Removal
Many people will want to go back to the site of their home and sift through the ashes to look for remnants of their belongings. Offer to go along, but be aware that this can be a difficult and emotional process.
âThe sight of a lost home may be a sacred burial ground of a lost life. Focus on being a respectful guest with slow moments and quiet energy,â Spezza advises. âAllow your friend to remain the leader at all times. Ask where you should be and what you should pick through. Refrain from going into treasure hunt mode, even if the opportunity is compelling.â
Run Errands, Help With Paperwork
Thereâs a mountain of tasks facing anyone whoâs lost their home in a fire, so if youâre local, offer to run errands. Picking up or dropping things off are a frequent need. You can also help with research, whether itâs online or jumping on the phone to make calls.
One of the more arduous tasks that many people face is documenting the belongings they lost in the fire for insurance purposes. You can help inventory items and their estimated values â itâs painstaking work that many hands can make lighter.
And a great tip from Anderson: you can donate expertise, like legal or accounting services.
Give Money or Gift Cards
Even if your loved ones are insured, insurance payouts wonât necessarily be coming right away. Meanwhile, thereâs a long list of belongings that need to be stocked up again: pots and pans, clothing, school supplies, and eventually, when itâs time, furniture.
Cash never hurts, say most fire survivors, and gift cards are an excellent alternative. You can also organize fundraisers or collect donations on their behalf.
Giving household items, whether you buy them new as gifts or donate used ones, is also a good idea. But be thoughtful about it â many items, like appliances or furniture, can take up room, so be sure your friends or loved ones are ready to accept them.
start a gofundme for them; find them immediate housing; put out the call for longer term housing; have people donate furniture, kitchen goods; legal services referrals ..source: Me; lost sf apt in fire
— K Anderson (@9papertrees) August 21, 2020
Help With Cleaning
Whether itâs where theyâre staying for the time being or a new place theyâre moving in to, offer to clean â and bring along all the needed cleaning supplies, too.
Thoughtful Touches
Fires claim more than just physical belongings. So many experiences and memories live in yearbooks, photo albums, artwork, souvenirs â even trophies from sports teams.
You can try to hunt down an extra copy of someoneâs high school yearbook â perhaps by calling their high school. You could create a scrapbook or dig up old photos and create a new photo album.
If thereâs a holiday around the corner, like the Harvest Moon Festival, Thanksgiving or Hanukkah, some seasonal decorations can brighten up a living space. If you enjoy arts and crafts, consider sewing a Halloween costume or making a wreath.
A little bit of delight is important in times like this. Consider giving a box of relaxing teas or a book you think your friend will love.
Attention for Kids
Before the coronavirus pandemic, it was easier to offer to babysit or host a play date to give friends some much-needed downtime. Now, with COVID-19 precautions, youâll want to discuss what everyone is comfortable doing.
Suggest taking the kids on outdoor activities that allow for social distancing, like bike rides or hikes, and consider giving books, toys, games and other things.
Attention for Pets
If your friends are staying in a hotel that doesnât allow pets â or with someone who doesnât have enough room to accommodate animals â offer to help pet-sit for as long as needed.
Be in Touch
Sometimes a simple text message is all it takes to let someone know you’re thinking about them â but you need to be ready to take time to really listen.
If you donât manage to jump in right away to help, donât worry, the recovery process is measured in terms of months and years.
âKnow that it is not too late; it will not be too late for at least two years,â Spezza writes. âIt will not be too late to give kindness for quite awhile. This is a long haul.â
Donât Know Anyone Who’s Lost Their Home, But Still Want to Help?
These are just a few local organizations working to provide fire and disaster relief in the Bay Area:
Santa Cruz County Community Foundation Napa Valley Community Foundation Monterey County Fire Relief Fund
The American Red Cross helps after a disaster with food, shelter and clothes and supports relief efforts on the ground or virtually. Find out more at redcross.org or 1-800-RED-CROSS. You can donate to the Red Cross via mail, phone or even the Alexa app.
And check out this list of resources we put together on how to help and where to donate.
Copyright 2020 KQED