In response to the wildfire – dubbed the White Fire – burning in the Santa Barbara back country, Direct Relief has offered assistance to local responders. If needed, Direct Relief has a stockpile of fire-related medicine and medical supplies ready to deploy from its warehouse.

The White Fire, which started as a five-acre brush fire Monday afternoon, has burned 1,800 acres and was 10 percent contained as of Tuesday morning, according to the Santa Barbara Independent. An estimated 4,000 to 6,000 people were evacuated from the area, most of whom were camping for the holiday weekend. No injuries and only minor property damage have been reported at this time, cites Noozhawk.

The emergency response team is in touch with the Santa Barbara County Public Health Department, local health center partners, and other local responders. Direct Relief stands ready to respond with its stock of masks, inhalers, nebulizers and other items used to treat patients suffering from respiratory problems related to the fire and smoke. In addition, first-aid products, medical supplies for eye irritation, and personal care products are on standby should they be requested for potentially-affected patients.

Smoke levels can worsen symptoms for people with chronic heart and lung diseases. When smoke levels are high enough, even healthy people can experience symptoms of abnormal breathing, coughing, chest discomfort and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Direct Relief is ready to meet increased demands in health-related needs, should they arise.

Direct Relief is monitoring the latest fire activity (red, in the above image) in relation to its partner network (yellow, in the above image) using Palantir software (pictured above). This post, as well as Direct Relief’s Twitter feed, will be updated with the latest news from partners as it unfolds.