LA wildfires: Local Red Cross head to Calif. as residents visiting Philly anxious to return home
PHILADELPHIA - Wildfires burning across southern California, in and around the Los Angeles area have killed at least five people and have forced more than 18,000 people from their homes.
Fueled by drought conditions and super-charged Santa Ana winds, the fires have burned more than 10,000 structures across Los Angeles. It’s being called the costliest wildfires in U.S. history.
The American Red Cross New Jersey Region is deploying four disaster workers to support relief efforts in the Los Angeles Wildfires.
"The American Red Cross is no stranger to wildfires, and we have many people on the ground in Los Angeles already who we knew would respond, along with Red Cross regions around the area," said Rosie Taravella, Regional Executive of the American Red Cross NJ Region. "Sadly, many of our own workers have lost their homes in this devastation. There’s always a need for more incredible people like Penny and others who are willing to set aside their own lives to set up shelters and take care of people, especially in these early stages of a large disaster."
Penny Tedesco of Maple Shade, N.J. is flying out for a two-week deployment to support L.A. wildfire victims seeking refuge in a shelter.
"This is my fourth deployment, I believe, out-of-state, and I’ve always gone a few weeks after whatever the incident was, I’ve never gone right at the beginning, so watching the news I’m nervous," said Tedesco. "Seeing what’s going on and knowing how much help is needed, it’s just like I know I have some training, I know there’s something I can do and I know there are people who can’t, so go where you’re needed."
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Tedesco said her first deployment was to Texas in 2008 in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. She was also deployed in 2017 to Hurricane Harvey and this past November to Hurricane Helene.
She said the L.A. Wildfires will be the first time she’s deployed at the start of a disaster and in addition to providing aid, she hopes to leave behind memories of people who cared.
"Lots of hugs, lots of love, memories, and people just knowing that there was someone there when they needed help," said Tedesco. "It’s going to be tough. I packed a lot of tissues. A lot of tissues. There will be a lot of crying."
FOX 29 met travelers at the Philadelphia International Airport who are returning home to Los Angeles. They expressed how difficult this past week has been, monitoring the destructive fires from so far away.
"Just the devastation, you know, people just lose everything like that. It’s just tough to take," said Jonathan Tunnell who is an L.A. transplant from Philadelphia. "Couple of my good friends have lost their places. We had embers in our area, but they suppressed them with a strike team, so I needed to get back because it’s kind of crazy out there right now. Just pray for everybody, and if you got anything to contribute, please reach out to the Red Cross."
"My family is here in Philadelphia, but I live currently in L.A. and I’m going back today hopefully to make sure everything is okay where I am, and just check on friends and family that are over there as well," said Ellery Aschendrenner. "I know a lot of people who are either personally affected or have lost their homes to the fire."
If you’d like to show your support, you can make a financial donation to the Red Cross by clicking here. or by texting "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make an automatic $10 donation.