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CWS situation report: California wildfires 2007

October 23, 2007

State and local fire officials have asked more than 250,000 southern California residents to evacuate their homes in advance of rapidly-spreading wildfires. President Bush declared a state of emergency as California National Guard troops, prison inmates and residents join a veritable army of firefighters trying to bring dozens of fires under control.

The American Red Cross, with state and municipal governments, opened emergency shelters. ARC reports more than 3,500 displaced persons registered for shelters overnight Monday. Travel via roads is increasingly difficult as preemptively-closed and engulfed highways are impassable.

Vulnerable Communities Watch

Southern California's immigrant population is high, and may have difficulties understanding orders to evacuate or, wary of trusting authorities, may even resist orders. Those in ill health and with weak systems, such as children and the elderly, may have problems evacuating in time, and are more prone to being overcome by smoke inhalation, fatigue and exhaustion.

CWS Response

Members of Church World Service partner Presbyterian Disaster Assistance National Response Team, are deployed to offer spiritual and emotional care to staff of the Pacific Presbytery and the Malibu Presbyterian Church, which burned to the ground in wildfires Sunday night.

As the situation allows, CWS will assess need for long-term recovery training and project support in addition to responding to requests for assistance from member communions.

Media Contact:
Lesley Crosson, CWS/New York, 212-870-2676;
Jan Dragin, 781-925-1526;

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