Website helps navigate giving during wildfires

California blazes taking terrible toll across the state

The California wildfires have reached a grim new milestone: the deadliest in the state’s history. In Northern California alone, at least 48 people are dead, and hundreds are still missing, The Associated Press reported Wednesday morning.

Across the state, in just the past week, more than 230,000 acres have burned, which is bigger than the cities of Chicago and Boston combined, CNN reports.

More than 300,000 people have been forced from their homes, and more than 9,000 firefighters, including some from Yuma, are fighting the blazes. The numbers are staggering.

Across the state, people are opening their doors and their homes to help one another.

Airbnb has launched a program that allows people to offer free, temporary housing to both those impacted by the fires and relief workers on the scene to help.

And media reports are sprinkled with stories of restaurants in the region who are offering free meals to first responders and fire victims, or celebrities who step forward to cover meal costs.

Several temporary shelters have also opened to help deal with the hundreds of pets that have been displaced, or, in some cases, left behind when the fire roared through their communities.

Our immediate reaction when we see devastation on this level is to want to help. We live right next to the California border — how can we best help our neighboring state?

Right now, the best way is to send money, because donations allow aid organizations to immediately buy what they need to meet the needs of others. But before you donate, do your research. We’ve written about Charity Navigator before, which allows donors to check out the charity’s reputation and status before donating. If you visit www.CharityNavigator.com, the organization has compiled a list called “Relief for the California Wildfires,” which spotlights “highlyrated organizations providing relief and support to those affected by devastating wildfires.” It’s a good place to start.

As firefighters continue to fight these blazes, our thoughts are with California.