California to receive aid from state Red Cross volunteers

Some Connecticut residents and organizations are chipping in to help victims of the California wildfires that have killed at least 31 people and destroyed swaths of property.

Monday, the state chapter of the American Red Cross announced it was sending five Connecticut volunteers to California to assist in the response to the devastating blaze. The volunteers — who hail from East Haven, Groton, Mystic, Plainfield and East Haddam — were sent to the Sacramento area to help those affected by the so-called Camp Fire, the deadliest of several wildfires raging in the state.

“Red Cross volunteers from across the country are supporting evacuation centers to provide safe refuge for people impacted by these devastating fires,” said Stefanie Arcangelo, chief communications officer for the Connecticut Red Cross, in an email. “The Red Cross is also providing meals, health services, comfort and other support for affected residents.”

She said the Red Cross has deployed enough supplies to shelter as many as 7,000 people, including special equipment to support people with access and functional needs. “We are also mobilizing enough relief supplies to serve as many as 15,000 households,” she said. “Supplies include sifters, personal protective equipment, respiratory masks, rakes, shovels, work gloves, tarps and other resources.”

The state Red Cross may deploy more volunteers, but Arcangelo said she isn’t sure when that would be. Other organizations in the state continue to monitor what is going on in California, including Fairfield-based Save the Children.

Though the organization hasn’t sent anyone to aid in the fire, staff members said in an email that Save the Children is “working closely with national and local partners to assess the needs of children.”