The skies are turning red over on the west coast. The pictures are something out of a movie, but this is real and it is happening right now. Massive wildfires have sprung up in states such as California, Washington, and Oregon. The red/orange hue in the sky is due to the large amount of smoke, which contains particles that let the colors red and yellow pass due to their longer wavelengths, while simultaneously keeping out colors like blue and green that have shorter wavelengths from penetrating the smoke. Even with a scientific explanation, the pictures from these states have people baffled.
About 1.5 million acres of land are being hit by these wildfire and mass destruction lies in its wake. Many citizens have been forced to move out from their homes and into shelters, even despite the ever-looming threat of coronavirus as well. Many are wishing for a rain shower that can help firefighters in their fight to contain the flames, who have grown tremendously with the help of the dry condition of the land mixed with strong winds. Firefighters continue to bravely battle with the fires on the ground, but all helicopters and aircrafts that could be assisting from above have been stopped due to the large amounts of smoke that would make flying conditions dangerous.
Many organizations have reached out and are offering aid to those affected by the wildfire. Their services range from providing food and health services to providing emergency cash grants and air purifiers. Many food banks and charities are already experiencing a shortage of supplies given the toll that coronavirus has had on them already. If you would like to get involved and help out the victims of these wildfires, here are some organizations you can join or donate to:
- CDP California Wildfires Recovery Firm
- Salvation Army
- Wildland Firefighter Foundation
- Red Cross
- Direct Relief
- Humane Society of Ventura County
- Latino Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund
- Save The Children
- The Oregon Food Bank
- The Central California Food Bank
- River City Foodbank
- Entertainment Industry Foundation
Remember that any aid or support that you can offer is a big help. For those who cannot help by donating, there are other options to be involved in the wildfire aid efforts such as spreading these link and other useful information to others and sharing local’s stories. These wildfires are not the first and they will certainly not be the last given our ever-growing climate change issue that is worsening by the year. However, we can all join together to help those that are being impacted by these wildfires while continuing to push for changes in policies and in the government concerning the protection and saving of the environment.