How to Help Victims of Wildfires

August 24, 2021

The National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) reports that there are currently 107 active wildfires across the United States. NIFC shows that about 2,272,800 acres have been burned since these fires began. As of August 2021, wildfire activity continues in 15 states across the US. With wind gusts of up to 45 mph, near-critical conditions were recently reported over eastern Oregon and north-central Montana. This has resulted in active fire behavior in the Whitmore, Green Ridge, Black Butte, Thorne Creek, and Woods Creek fires.

Warmer, dry conditions remain in the forecast throughout the western United States, leading to the high potential for severe wildfire activity for the rest of the summer and into the fall. These high temperatures, along with lightning activity, continue to aggravate the wildfire situation. Whether it is properly extinguishing a campfire or keeping your vehicle maintained to prevent sparks, simple precautionary measures can help prevent these disasters.

Additionally, the US Drought Monitor reports that nearly 98.5 percent of land in the Western States is experiencing moderate to severe drought in the month of August. This is compounded by June's 2021 heatwave, which led to the threat of wildfires appearing a month earlier than expected.

According to the NIFC, there have been over 39,000 wildfires between January and August of 2021. In comparison, there were only 33,000 during the same period in 2020. This is according to the National Interagency Fire Center. About 3.54 million acres have already been burned this year compared to 2.28 million in 2020 during the same period. By August 8th, 2021, 13 states were reporting large fires according to NIFC. These states include Montana (15), Washington (12), Oregon (12), Idaho (11), California (7), Alaska (5), Wyoming (2), Nevada (1), Arizona (1), Minnesota (1), South Dakota (1), Nebraska (1), and New Mexico with 1 wildfire.

Here is a breakdown of the fire damage by state:

• California - 589,234 acres of land
• Washington - 189,462 acres of land
• Montana - 134,903 acres of land
• Nevada - 68,696 acres of land
• Oregon - 43,783 acres of land

This clearly shows that wildfires are dangerous and they continue to threaten the livelihood of many people across the United States. Without a proper response to these disasters, people can potentially lose a massive amount of resources to the fires and have their lives completely devastated.

How Emergency Assistance Foundation Can Help

Is your company looking for ways to help victims of wildfires in your internal communities? Establishing a Fund with Emergency Assistance Foundation can allow you to provide relief for your team members who have been affected by disasters or hardships like these wildfires. At Emergency Assistance Foundation, we're resourceful and fearless in ensuring that financial assistance reaches those in need as quickly and efficiently as possible. No matter the unique circumstances, we remain adaptable to different situations through technology, partnership, and effective procedures. But, how exactly do we accomplish this? Here’s how our Funds work:

• First, your organization establishes a Disaster & Hardship Relief Fund with Emergency Assistance Foundation that can award grants to individuals in need. Each Fund is designed with a unique name, specific grant criteria, and a defined Charitable Class (those eligible to apply for a grant). The Fund relies on donations made by your organization and its partners, employees, and/or the general public. Donations can be made through a variety of methods and can be set up as one-time or recurring contributions.
• Then, Charitable Class members apply for financial assistance following an unforeseen disaster or personal hardship. Their application is reviewed promptly to determine grant eligibility. After the initial application review is complete and all required information and documentation has been received, there is a final Quality Check that determines the grant award amount. At that point, the grant is awarded to the applicant.

A “Major Disaster Declaration” or “Emergency Declaration” from FEMA will determine whether the Fund can launch an Immediate Response Program (IRP) to first provide small grants quickly and efficiently. This is a unique, low-cost program that awards small grants (< $1,000) quickly in times of large-scale disasters. An Immediate Response Program can help your organization provide relief to those in your internal community and tackle the adversities they are currently facing.

If wildfires are not declared in one of these categories and the event is not qualified for an IRP, the Fund can still provide assistance through its standard grant program. In these cases, the wildfire can be included under the “Natural Disaster” event category in the Fund’s standard grant criteria.

By establishing a Fund with us today, your organization can assist those affected by these raging wildfires. This can help individual people, businesses, and entire communities pull through these difficult times and start on the path toward recovery. If you’d like to learn more about how your organization can help, you can watch this short video, learn additional information about launching an IRP, or contact us.

We look forward to helping you make a difference for those who need it most!

Author: Emergency Assistance Foundation Team