First Alert: WCK Relief Team is in California supporting wildfire evacuees
World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team arrived in southern California Sunday evening to provide meals and cold drinks to people evacuating their homes in San Bernardino County as wildfires burn with minimal containment.
The Line Fire was discovered Thursday and has since spread to cover more than 21,200 acres, with only 3 percent containment. The rugged dry terrain of the mountains north and east of San Bernardino, plus extremely high temperatures and lightning storms, contributed to the fire quadrupling in size over the weekend.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has issued immediate evacuation orders for 11,000 people in the surrounding areas citing “an immediate threat to life.” More than 1,700 firefighters are working to control the blaze which threatens more than 36,000 structures. Multiple shelters are open for families forced to evacuate, and WCK has set up meal distribution points in case further evacuation orders are given.
WCK was in San Bernardino County in March 2023 when a series of winter storms buried communities under several feet of snow. Inaccessible roads and damage to essential infrastructure forced families to remain in their homes and cut off the region’s food supply. WCK’s Relief Team was on the ground then providing food and water as authorities worked to restore normal access to food.
We are working closely with many of the same local authorities and previous partners in the county as we provide meals to people evacuating from the Line Fire and assess the need for additional meals in area shelters. This remains a quickly evolving situation. You can sign up to our newsletter to receive more information and follow us on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook for real time updates.
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