October 26, 2021 | 11:57 a.m.
Heavy rains have fallen across California — a state tirelessly afflicted by wildfires and a lack of rainfall in recent months.
Although some wildfires continue to burn, the precipitation has helped to mitigate the risks that the blazes pose to communities and wildlife alike. Droughts still continue to affect many states in the West.
“The rains have started, which will definitely help with the wildfire situation, but it’ll actually do very little to change the overall drought,” Stacy Lamb of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team said.
Despite a change in weather, Convoy of Hope’s response to the droughts and wildfires in the western U.S. remains active. Convoy will continue to provide relief supplies when needed as California and the surrounding states recover from a year full of record-breaking droughts and fires.
October 14, 2021 | 1:40 p.m.
Multiple wildfires across California have charred nearly 2.5 million acres of land and caused several major highways to shut down. People were forced from their homes and livelihoods with no confidence of returning to anything intact.
Getting in and out of the area is tough. In Southern California, the coastal mountains are the latest hotspot for fires. The flames, fueled by dry vegetation, have destroyed homes and barns. Ranchers have left their life’s work behind, and evacuation orders have taken place across the region.
These latest fires add insult to injury. Much of the West was already experiencing drought conditions before the latest flames erupted. Reservoirs are dry with no relief in sight. Within a few weeks, the Dixie Fire — the second-largest wildfire in California’s history — consumed nearly 700,000 acres.
“We’ve had a ton of fires that have been affecting our area,” said Shawn Sanassarren of Bayside Church in California. Bayside is one of Convoy’s many partners working to distribute water, food, and relief supplies to those in the danger zone.
Convoy of Hope continues to offer supplies to those in need, already delivering nearly 300,000 pounds of product in response to the fires and drought. More than 15,000 people have received water and other relief supplies through Convoy and supporting partners.
Pastor Ross with Real Life Church in Orland, California, reported that Convoy of Hope came in with a shipment of water just as they started running low.
“They were asking if we had laundry facilities and such, and I was able to not only say we could help some families with laundry but also bless both Orland and county fire departments with pallets of water to give out!” he said. “Thank you. This is a huge win for us here.”
With your generosity, Convoy of Hope continues to provide relief to those in need during this crisis. Thank you for supporting Convoy in this mission. To donate to and support disaster survivors, click here.
September 15, 2021 | 10:40
“We have had a ton of fires that have been affecting our areas,” said Shawn Sanassarren of Bayside Church in California. Bayside is one of many Convoy of Hope partners distributing water, food, and relief supplies to those impacted by the wildfires in the West.
Fires across California and surrounding states have consumed more than 2 million acres in recent months, burning thousands of homes and other structures along the way. Recent droughts have exacerbated concerns by hampering the ability of communities to fight these fires — causing shortages of hydroelectric power, and limiting supplies of drinking water.
Convoy of Hope strategically positioned water, as well as other relief supplies, in communities across the Western United States. To date, Convoy has distributed hundreds of thousands of pounds of necessities in response to this disaster.
Thank you for supporting Convoy of Hope as we provide help and hope to those in need during this time of crisis.
September 1, 2021 | 2:15 p.m.
As fires rage on in Western states, Convoy of Hope is providing relief supplies to affected areas.
“It’s a very difficult time for the people in the paths of these fires,” said Ethan Forhetz, Convoy’s National Spokesperson. “Convoy of Hope is grateful to be able to respond with help and hope when both are desperately needed. Thank you to Convoy’s generous donors who make our responses like this possible.”
More than 53,000 people are under evacuation orders as the Caldor Fire tears through the Lake Tahoe area and sets its sights on Carson City and Reno, Nevada. The Caldor Fire currently covers more than 204,000 acres and is only 18% contained.
“It’s so hard leaving. We raised eight kids here,” Joey Anders of South Lake Tahoe, California, told the Tahoe Daily Tribune. As he burst into tears, he added, “The hardest thing about leaving is knowing I can’t get back here.”
“The fire remained very active overnight due to the extremely poor humidity recovery and warm temperatures,” the California Fire Department said in a statement on Wednesday.
More than 15,000 firefighters are attempting to quell wildfires across California, including the Dixie Fire — the second largest in state history, which has burned more than 844,000 acres. An additional 85 fires burned approximately 2 million acres across 11 states this season, the National Interagency Fire Center reported.
Convoy of Hope is providing relief supplies to affected areas across the western United States. Thank you to those who support Convoy and allow us to provide help in this time of crisis as the blaze continues.
August 9, 2021 | 4 p.m.
As temperatures continue to rise and water levels decline in the Western United States, Convoy of Hope is hard at work, sending water to strategic locations in affected areas. Partners in these areas will store and distribute the water to those in need.
“The Western U.S. is experiencing record-breaking heat, numerous wildfires, and water reservoirs at all-time lows with no end in sight,” Stacy Lamb of Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Services team said. “Because of this, Convoy of Hope is working with its partners to strategically place numerous loads of water out west in order to be able to respond quickly when needs arise.”
Wildfires have sprung up across the West, adding to an already-growing list of concerns about the crisis. Over approximately four weeks, the Dixie Fire — now considered to be the second-largest wildfire in California’s history — has consumed more than 580 structures and 463,000 acres, according to local authorities.
Meanwhile, in Nevada, lawmakers recently passed a law that, in an effort to conserve water, will ban all grass in the Las Vegas area considered to be nonfunctional. The law is expected to affect nearly a third of the grass in the city, including street medians and landscaping in urban areas.
As these crises continue, Convoy will provide help and hope to those affected. To contribute to Convoy of Hope as we support people in need, click here.
