American Red Cross of Colorado & Wyoming Provides Support, Services and Recovery Assistance to Residents Affected by Wildfires and Housefires
In October, multiple wildfires scorched parts of Colorado and Wyoming, most significantly, the Cameron Peak fire, the East Troublesome fire, the Calwood fire and the Lefthand Canyon fire in Colorado and the Mullen fire in Wyoming. To date, 252 disaster responders have deployed both virtually and, on the ground, providing support, service and recovery assistance to evacuees from areas threatened by the fires. In response to the fires, the Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming has
- served 63,962 meals
- provided 37,700 overnight stays
- distributed 14 comfort kits
- made 2,969 disaster health contacts, 1,114 disaster mental health contacts and 35 Disability Integration Contacts
- distributed 83 clean up kits
In addition to the wildfires burning across the two-state region, the Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming has also continued to support communities during local and personal disasters, like a home fire or flood. The Red Cross knows these local disasters are just as devastating as large-scale disasters. Volunteers from our Disaster Action Teams are ready to respond to these local emergencies, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In October, the American Red Cross of Colorado and Wyoming provided support and care to 129 people. Out of the 48 cases in October, the majority of calls were for home fires.
- Mile High Chapter (MHC) responded to 87 calls for service and helped 228 people. The MHC response area includes 10 counties in the Denver Metro area.
- Southeastern Colorado Chapter (SECO) responded to 10 calls for service and helped 36 people. The SECO response area includes 16 counties.
- Northern Colorado Chapter (NOCO) responded to 6 calls for service and helped 11 people. The NOCO response area includes 11 counties.
- Western Colorado Chapter (WECO) responded to 5 calls for service and helped 24 people. The WECO response area covers 27 counties, serving all Western Colorado and the San Luis Valley.
- Wyoming Chapter (WYO) responded to 14 calls for assistance and provided care to 34 people. The WYO response area covers 21 counties in the state of Wyoming.
The coronavirus pandemic puts additional stress on families seeking support after disaster, which is why the Red Cross has established additional precautions and plans to reduce risks—such as social distancing protocols, face coverings, health screenings and prioritizing individual hotel rooms. The safety of our workforce and the communities we serve continues to be our priority. The Red Cross follows all CDC guidance, and we work closely with local health officials to safely provide help and hope when disasters strike.