Direct Relief Positioned to Respond to Zaca Fire in California
SANTA BARBARA, CA (August 7, 2007) In response to the Zaca fire currently burning in Santa Barbara County, California, Direct Relief is cooperating with the Emergency Operations Center to ensure that Direct Relief's resources, if needed, are coordinated with all other responding agencies to best serve any affected residents.
Direct Relief’s headquarters are equipped to serve as a hub for all nonprofit groups and maintain stockpiles for public health. The American Red Cross, who has opened an emergency shelter at Dos Pueblos High School in Goleta, will use part of Direct Relief’s warehouse space to store essential supplies that cannot be stored on-site.
Additionally, the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department maintains a strategic supply of emergency response materials at the Direct Relief warehouse, and may tap into that reserve supply should there be a demonstrated need.
In the event that the area around Direct Relief’s headquarters is evacuated, the organization will still have essential staff assisting in the humanitarian response.
The Zaca fire began July 4 in the Los Padres National Forest, and according to the Santa Barbara County Fire Department has burned 69,800 acres as of August 7.
For more information about the fire and fire safety, please visit www.sbcfire.com or www.inciweb.org, or call the Zaca Fire Information Line at (805) 961-5770. Load times for the Web sites may be slow, as they are encountering heavy traffic due to the fire.
About Direct Relief International
Founded in 1948, Direct Relief International is a Santa Barbara, California-based nonprofit organization focused on improving the quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. In 2006, Direct Relief provided over $200 million in direct aid through medical material assistance and targeted cash grants to more than 300 healthcare facilities and organizations in 56 countries, providing 23.8 million courses of treatment. Direct Relief is one of two charities ranked by Forbes that has received a perfect fundraising efficiency score for five consecutive years.
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