Alaskan volunteers assisting with California wildfires

WASILLA — The American Red Cross has sent Alaskan volunteers to Sacramento, California to assist with several wildfires burning across the state.

The Alaskan volunteers are forming a special sheltering team at the request of Red Cross national headquarters.

The volunteers are deploying from various Alaskan communities including Anchorage, Wasilla, Fairbanks, Two Rivers, Skagway, Ketchikan, and Juneau.

“We are incredibly honored that national headquarters reached out to Alaska to form this special sheltering team. Our volunteers are ready, willing, and able to help other regions as they deal with these devastating natural disasters,” says Kelin Hickey, Disaster Workforce Engagement Director with the American Red Cross of Alaska.

According to the press release, The McKinney Fire, located north of Sacramento near the Oregon border, has burned over 57,000 acres in Siskiyou County in just a few days.

Over 100 structures have burned, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.

The Red Cross is working around the clock to assist those that have been impacted by the California wildfires, providing a safe place to stay, food to eat, and emotional support during this challenging time.

For more information, visit redcross.org

Contact Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman reporter Jacob Mann at jacob.mann@frontiersman.com