A helping hand to communities battling wildfires

Shasta College works with the American Red Cross to provide an evacuation center for local residents. (Photo: Shasta College)

There are currently 17 large wildfires dotting California, with the largest one in the northern part of the state in Shasta County. Community colleges are doing what they can to help local residents, which includes providing shelter and support services.

The Carr fire in Shasta and Trinity counties has destroyed at least 818 homes and killed six people, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). As of Monday evening, the fire has burned nearly 104,000 acres.

Shasta College was designated an evacuation center last Thursday — two days later it was at capacity serving more than 500 evacuees, according to the college. In addition to providing food, water, shelter and medical services to local residents, the college opened its farm for local large farm animals.

By Tuesday noon, much of the fire in populated sites in the county was contained and residents were starting to return home, said Shasta College President Joe Wyse. He told Community College Daily that over the past couple of years Shasta College has trained in emergency management, which was very valuable in this crisis.

“There’s a lot of coordination,” Wyse said.

In an e-mail Monday to colleagues in the state, Wyse said that about 80 college employees have been helping with the efforts — serving the American Red Cross and the community by running the logistics of the evacuation center at the college. He noted that at least 10 employees have lost their homes, some of whom are here helping at the center.

Shasta has created two GoFundMe accounts, one to help students and one for employees.

The college has also received support from other two-year colleges, such as Butte College and College of Marin, who are send campus safety/police offers to help at the center. The California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office, Foundation of California Community Colleges and Santa Rosa Junior Colleges — which last fall itself faced a massive wildfire — have helped in answering questions and providing advice, Wyse said.

“Many others have reached out to us to offer assistance,” he wrote. “It sure is nice to work in the biggest educational system in the world that still manages to feel like a family in helping each other in times of need.”

About the Author

Matthew Dembicki
Matthew Dembicki edits Community College Daily and serves as associate vice president of communications for the American Association of Community Colleges.
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