Disaster relief staff and vehicles have deployed to the Eaton and Palisades Fires. Pray for the many affected by these infernos.
Our North American Ministries staff and Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains have set up base camps at two California churches to serve the victims of the Eaton and Palisades Fires. These blazes and others in the LA County area have claimed dozens of lives in recent days and burned over 12,000 structures. As the infernos have already tragically consumed tens of thousands of acres, many homes, schools, and livelihoods have been reduced to ashes.
Two Samaritans’ Purse Disaster Relief Units—tractor trailers stocked with tools and supplies—left our West Coast Ministry Center in Fullerton on Thursday for the affected areas. For the Eaton Fire, our host is Lake Avenue Church, 393 N. Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101. While for the Palisades Fire, we are basing out of Cornerstone Church of West Los Angeles, 1609 S. Barrington Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90025.
Once local officials give the word that it is safe to enter the affected areas, we will mobilize teams of volunteers to aid hurting homeowners.
“We just have to wait til the fires are contained and are out before we can do anything,” said Franklin Graham, president of Samaritan’s Purse. “As soon as they give us the all clear, we’ll go in.”
Volunteers who would like to act as the hands and feet of Christ to help hurting homeowners can sign up at spvolunteer.org.
“The first thing that we’ll do is we’ll offer homeowners assistance if they want it,” said Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham. “We’ll help sift through the ashes. That takes a team of people going through one part of the house sifting through every square inch of ashes that are on the ground.
“We’ve found coin collections, picture albums that have somehow survived, rings, a lot of jewelry. Being able to give back to a homeowner even a little thing like a ring that’s survived means so much to them.”
Billy Graham Rapid Response Team chaplains will also play a critical role in the response.
“People need to tell their story,’ Graham said. “This is the most traumatic event of their life—how they escaped from the flames and got out of there. Chaplains will just listen and pray with them and encourage them, letting them know that God hasn’t turned His back on them, that God loves and care for them. It’s a very important ministry that helps them emotionally and spiritually.
“A lot of people are asking, ‘Why?’ Graham said. “That’s a hard question to answer but we want to reassure them of God’s love.”
Please pray for the over 8,500 firefighters who continue to work to contain the windswept flames as well as for the homeowners who have lost everything. Ask God to strengthen our staff and volunteers to offer His hope to these who are suffering.
