LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — As fires in California continue to burn, hundreds of brave people have spared their time to help those affected by them.
This includes one Kentucky American Red Cross volunteer who's been in Los Angeles County for almost a week.
Earlier this week, LEX 18's Kayleigh Randle shared the story of a Kentucky American Red Cross volunteer who flew out to California to help victims of the Palisades wildfire. The fires first began burning in the Pacific Palisades community on January first. On Saturday, Randle video-chatted with John Sternberg, an American Red Cross volunteer who lives in Lexington, to follow up after he's spent days in Los Angeles County distributing supplies.
"Usually with hurricanes and flooding, there's something left to clean. With a fire either your house was destroyed or it's still standing. The cleaning is different. There may be smoke damage, there may be loss of electricity things like that. So we're trying to meet the needs of the people," said Sternberg. "So I am happy to be here doing whatever is needed. There are different slots that need to be filled as we go along and the sheltering was filled quickly with more local people. So to get out here at all with the distribution emergency supplies. I feel good about it. It's something that needs to be done."
For the first two days, the are was under a Red Flag warning meaning fire conditions are high. On Wednesday, Sternberg and his team got to work organizing special kits that contain hazmat suits, masks, shoe covers, flashlights, goggles, etc.
In the Pasadena Civic Center shelter, 700 people are sheltering in place with several of them being Red Cross volunteers, according to Sternberg.
So far, the fire is 49% contained in the Palisades with 23,713 acres of land burned across the county.
Sternberg explains how his sister still lives in Los Angeles county, away from the fire, and went through her own fire evacuation 20 years ago. "My sister was talking to me about the fire that forced their evacuation 20 years ago and she said you just don't realize how big the flames are. You know they're towering over the cars, they're moving sometimes at 120 mph with the winds and that it just sucks the air out away from you."
Sternberg stresses that the animals in Los Angeles County who are wandering the streets scared and alone following the fire are also needing our help.
You can help support the animals and people in California on the Red Cross webiste.
