The American Red Cross and FEMA are in California, providing shelter, food and comfort as residents cope with the deadliest wildfires in state history. About 101,000 people are under mandatory evacuation orders, including the entire town of Calistoga, most having only a few minutes to flee their neighborhood.
The fires have already burned more than 162,000 acres and destroyed some 1,300 homes. Hospitals have been evacuated, and thousands are without power. Wineries in Napa Valley have been affected, putting many people out of work. The Tubbs fire is reported as 12th most destructive wildfire on record in California..
On Monday alone, the fast-moving fires burned an area the size of a football field every three seconds. That’s 20,000 acres scorched in as little as 12 hours. No rain is expected in the region for the next week. The exceptionally dry weather and at times hurricane-strength winds in California could spark additional fires, and the existing fires may spread rapidly and unpredictably.
Magellan Transport Logistics, in support of FEMA and the Red Cross, is providing transportation services throughout the affected region on a daily basis. Thousands of additional cots, blankets and relief items have been mobilized in case additional shelters are needed.