"This is one of the worst disasters I've ever seen in my career, hands down," - FEMA Administrator Brock Long
The 2018 wildfires in California were the deadliest and most destructive in the state's history. Vulnerable families lost their homes, their livelihoods, and their hopes for the future. In the immediate aftermath and in response to an urgent request by the Butte County School District, International Relief Teams provided funding for textbooks for students in Butte County who lost all of their school supplies in the fires. The Camp Fire alone destroyed 6 school, damaged 8 schools and affected nearly 4,000 students.
Now, IRT is sending skilled construction teams to Keswick in Shasta County California to begin rebuilding homes. In the tiny town of Keswick, all but two homes were destroyed by the Carr fire. Keswick is a low income area where the median income is only $19,500 a year. Many residents do not have sufficient funds to rebuild their homes.
*Photo Credits: Noah Berger/AP (above), Jessica Christian/The Chronicle (thumbnail image on previous page)