New Jersey Volunteers Join California’s Wildfire Relief Efforts Amid Destruction

Four volunteers from the American Red Cross, based in New Jersey, are heading to California to support wildfire relief efforts.

The volunteers will travel on Thursday, January 9, to provide food, shelter, and health services to those affected by the wildfires.

The fires have caused devastation in some of Los Angeles’ most scenic neighborhoods. As of Wednesday, fire crews were battling three major, out-of-control wildfires that have claimed at least five lives.

Over 1,000 structures, mostly homes, have been destroyed, and more than 130,000 people in the metropolitan area are under evacuation orders.

The evacuation zone spans from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, with numbers continuously changing as new fires break out.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass noted that firefighters from across California and beyond have arrived to assist, and air operations are working to control the flames.

However, she emphasized that the firefighters are still dealing with erratic winds, although not as intense as those that fueled much of the destruction on Tuesday evening.