At 5:04 PM on October 17, 1989, the earth shook. The San Andreas fault, one of California’s and the world’s most infamous fault lines, shifted violently beneath the Loma Prieta peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The force of the shift resulted in a 6.9 magnitude earthquake that sent shockwaves throughout California and, most notably, the densely populated San Francisco Bay Area. Continue reading Memories of Loma Prieta
It began on the evening of Saturday, September 13. A small fire took hold of the landscape in Pollock Pines, California and began moving from tree to tree in this forested community hit hard by the ongoing drought. By Sunday morning, it was clear that the King Fire would not be going without a fight. Within hours, the fire quickly jumped in size from 500 acres to 1,000 to 2,000.
The billowing smoke put on a dazzling display for onlookers as it “boiled” over the tree tops. A fleet of firefighting aircraft swarmed the skies overhead, bombarding the blaze with everything they had but having minimal impact. The terrain was rugged, the wilderness like kindling, and the wind driving the flames beyond the reach of firefighters. Continue reading When Disaster Strikes
By CARL MANNING, American Red Cross Volunteer
Ask Andy Grossman why he’s an American Red Cross volunteer and his answer is simple – he really enjoys helping people.
It’s a philosophy that’s been a major part of his life, not only as a Red Cross volunteer in Weed, California, but also as pastor of the Abundant Life Church of the Nazarene in nearby Mount Shasta and as chaplain for the Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Department and the City of Weed. And if that isn’t enough, he’s just had a book of poetry published. Continue reading Red Cross Volunteer Helps his Town Recover
By CARL MANNING, American Red Cross volunteer
Despite losing her home and everything in it to the Boles Fire, Tiffany Duhon still wants to live in Weed, California with her five children. With some help from the American Red Cross, it looks like she will.
Tiffany and her family settled into Weed four years ago and she began taking college classes with the goal of becoming a lawyer. Over the years she and her family have become part of the community, active in church and school activities. Continue reading Boles Fire Takes Family’s Home, but not their Spirit
By CARL MANNING, American Red Cross Volunteer
When wildfire victims in the northern California mountain community of Weed come to the American Red Cross seeking help, one of the first people they likely will meet is volunteer Connie Hoffer, who has seen her share of devastating fires.
A volunteer from Littleton, Colorado for a nearly a decade, Connie has seen first hand several Colorado wildfires over the years and knows just how horrific a fast-burning, widespread fire can be.
Nestled at the base of Mount Shasta, Weed is a small community of barely 3,000 people. When the Boles Fire erupted on September 15, it quickly consumed 287 acres, destroying or damaging 162 homes. For this small community, it’s a loss that will never be forgotten. Continue reading Help and Healing in Weed
It was an all too familiar sight to Kari Guthrie as she saw smoke start to rise up over the hills near her home in Mosquito, California. It was the early beginning of the King Fire, a blaze in El Dorado County which has grown to over 82,000 acres across the drought-ravaged landscape since it first started on September 13. Continue reading Red Cross Volunteer Pays it Forward
~Local Assistance Center now open in Weed~
The American Red Cross has opened a Local Assistance Center for residents impacted by the Boles Fire in the City of Weed. Located at the College of the Siskiyous, 800 College Ave in Weed, Red Cross volunteers will be on-site daily from 10am – 7pm* to meet with impacted residents and provide disaster assistance. Continue reading American Red Cross Offers Resources for Residents Impacted by Boles Fire
