The 2020 California wildfires saw millions of acres of land burned to ashes. It’s thought that more than 3.2 million acres of land were burned – compared to the 2018 record of just over 1.9 million acres.
Thousands of homes were lost as a result of the fires, and this included the homes of firefighters who were tackling the blaze.
Imagine fighting to save someone else’s home while knowing your own home is at high risk of suffering the same fate – it’s just incomprehensible.
Of course, it’d be better if wildfires didn’t exist, but their one benefit is that they bring out the best in humanity.
One hero in tackling the California wildfires since 2018 is Woody Faircloth. He and his daughter Luna set up Emergency RV, when the wildfires of two years ago left thousands of people without a home.
The goal of Emergency RV is to “provide emergency and transitional housing to displaced survivors of natural disasters”.
People can choose to donate money to Emergency RV, which helps fund the purchase of RVs, or they can donate an unwanted RV of their own to support the cause.
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Since setting up his charity, Woody and his team have delivered more than 80 RVs to residents of Paradise, CA, who lost their homes in the fire.
When the wildfires picked up again in the west, Woody learned of the devastating outcome in Berry Creek, only a 20-minute drive from Paradise.
Now Woody and Luna have been focusing specifically on helping volunteer firefighters in the area.
While these seven firefighters were out saving the homes of others, six of them lost their homes. They also lost their very own fire station.
The fire hadn’t discriminated, and even the station’s chief had lost his home – as well as thousands of dollars worth of work tools.
He had been sleeping in his truck with the few possessions he owned until Emergency RV stepped in to help.
In an interview with Inspire More, Katherine Molohon, another of the firefighting heroes, recalled:
“We were driving through, trying to get people evacuated, drove by my house — I said, ‘Bye house’ and kept going.”
Until Woody and Luna provided an RV for her to live in, she had lived in a shed in her mom’s yard with her partner.
Though Emergency RV has already done a great deal of good for their community, they haven’t stopped there.
They plan to expand their service to support firefighters in Oregon, another area that has been affected by wildfires.
Another hope for Woody is that he can provide temporary accommodation to doctors on the frontlines fighting COVID19, as well as shelter for people who have lost their homes in storms and hurricanes.
America is far from a predictable place to live, which is why charities like Emergency RV are so important.
Unfortunately, there will always be a natural disaster to respond to, and Woody hopes to offer at least a small amount of support in as many situations as possible.
The initial goal had never been to help more than the local community, but Woody, his daughter, and his fellow volunteers are so kind-spirited that staying local simply isn’t enough anymore.
If you want to support Emergency RV, you can visit the charity’s official website here.
You can make a donation, offer up your RV, or simply learn more about the work that Woody and Luna are involved in.
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