Nov. 5, 2007 issue
MDS to assist after California fires
By Robert Rhodes Mennonite Weekly ReviewAKRON, Pa. — Mennonite Disaster Service has sent a team to the site of recent wildfires in Southern California to determine how MDS can respond.
MDS staff member Andi Dube said Oct. 25 that the team would arrive in California on Oct. 29 to make initial contacts and investigate opportunities for MDS to help with fire relief.
“We’ll be able to tell at that point what our response will be,” Dube said.
As of Oct. 29, seven people had been killed in the fires, which initially were being driven by seasonal Santa Ana winds. A total of 113 firefighters and 26 civilians were injured.
As of Oct. 29, a total of 35 fires had burned more than 460,000 acres and destroyed more than 1,500 homes. The largest fires were centered in San Diego County, but major blazes also struck Malibu and other locations in Orange County.
“MDS expects to be involved with sending cleanup teams to affected areas as soon as the fires are completely contained and counties begin letting evacuees return to their homes,” a statement from MDS said Oct. 26. “Once that happens, local MDS volunteers will start helping with cleanup.”
Dube said it did not appear that any Mennonite congregations or their members in the region had been directly affected by the fires.
First Church of the Brethren and San Diego Mennonite Church are both located in San Diego.
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