Recent fires have been troublesome for firefighters battling not only the flames, but also the dry conditions that cause the fires to spread and wreak havoc.
Monday marked 96 days of no measurable precipitation across the South Plains, increasing the risk of fire dangers as well as the need of volunteers for our local Red Cross.
Red Cross of the South Plains volunteers are there for fire victims and family members displaced by a home fire to offer support as needed. They are able to provide victims with immediate supplies like toiletries, blankets, toys for the little ones and they help those displaced seek and find shelter.
“You never know what state you’re going to find people in,” said Brad Larson, a volunteer, and member of the Board of Directors for the local Red Cross office. “There’s nothing as heartwarming as going out and helping people on the worst day of their life, they lost their home, they lost a lot of possessions. And you’re there, and they’re thanking you for being there. And you’re thinking ‘all I did was show up,’ but people are just so happy that you’re there.”
Larson shared that volunteering with the Red Cross quickly became one of his passions soon after he first signed up. However, with multiple fires breaking out each week, resources and volunteers are becoming spread out thin.
“What we had for awhile was we just had a limited number of people and we would get calls, me and my wife would get calls go out on 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 calls a week sometimes.”
It’s easy to be come a volunteer with Red Cross of the South Plains: all you have to do is reach out. You can find more information by giving them a call at 806-765-8534, or by clicking here.
At this time, Red Cross volunteers are continuing to provide and install smoke detectors in homes free of charge. To request one or for questions, refer to the contact information listed above.
