Recent Wildfires – Essential Info and Tips

Hey Texans,

We have been experiencing devastating fires all around us since Labor Day weekend and we thought we would put some tips and resources out there for others looking to help the families and individuals going through this awful experience. Please read all this information, there are important links to resources at the bottom of this update…

We at Oak Hill Wildfire Relief came together after a wildfire damaged and destroyed over 20 homes in our neighborhood this last April, in order to start taking action when we didn’t see other agencies and organizations doing so. We are simply a band of diverse neighbors who care about our other neighbors and are working to rebuild their homes/lives. You can do the same in your neighborhood! You don’t even have to be a neighbor, just start making it known that you are willing to help and try to organize a group of others like you.

This whole website and later Oak Hill Wildfire Relief Committee began with a Facebook page I made for the neighborhood. Later we established a Committee with designated jobs for each member, like fundraising, volunteering, donation of materials, and even set up trust funds for the neighbors with no homeowners insurance under the care of that home owner. The biggest thing you can do now is reach out, network, and let the public know that you and others want to help. Then organize a group of individuals and make information accessible to others out there via the web (use Facebook, WordPress, Google Blogger, etc.).

Some tips from experience:

Please know that if you make a cash donation to the Red Cross, they are only there for immediate relief efforts, this means caring for injuries, passing out water, and in our circumstance giving a few neighbors 200-300 dollars for a temporary hotel room with a bag of toiletries (soap, shampoo, razor). This agency does do a lot of good, but only for short term efforts. Your money will not be going towards rebuilding efforts. Other agencies we dealt with also did not provide the long term assistance we needed. We urge you and others to organize yourselves and take action for your community. Do not expect existing organizations to take care of your community from beginning to end in a timely manner; it didn’t happen for us and that is why we have come together in this effort.

The most important thing to do right now is make sure you, your family, and pets are safe. When you and others are allowed back into the evacuation zone, be careful. Wear masks, goggles, and long sleeves. Burnt homes are dangerous to enter, but it’s understandable that you would want to try and salvage anything you can from your home. Volunteers can help with this as well. This is actually how I and many others got started on that day of wildfire in Oak Hill, helping Lilly Henric pull out anything we could.

Learn to accept help and lend help. It can be hard to accept and difficult to figure out how to lend help, but just do it. This is too big for anyone to handle without friends and community.

For Volunteers:

Donate food items/personal hygiene items and clothing

When residents return to homes, you may be able to assist in salvaging items from homes for the fire victims. But be sensitive. Some may not want your help because they either don’t know you or they are in too much shock to accept and help right now. Leave them your contact info and let them know you are there if they need you.

Fundraisers, Fundraisers, Fundraisers. Hold local fundraising events in your community for fire victims. These events can be simple or take a lot of time to plan out. But regardless, fire victims will not need just donated items to get their lives back together, there will be a need for funds as well.

Organize community and neighborhood committees and action groups. Hold regular meetings to assess damage, see what needs there are, and come up with possibilities of how to fulfill those needs.

For Volunteers/Residents/Community:

Here are some links that may be helpful in being of and finding assistance:

For Monetary Donations, we suggest the following:

Central Texas Wildfire Relief Fund - Austin Telco Federal Credit Union and the Austin American-Statesman are partnering to support our neighbors affected by the wildfires. The Fund was created to help donors assist the families and individuals affected by the fires over Labor Day weekend across Central Texas, including Bastrop, Leander, Steiner Ranch and more. The Fund will allow ACF to support Austin-area nonprofit agencies that are providing services to victims in Central Texas. The funds will assist with the short- to intermediate-term financial burdens caused by fire relief efforts. All donations to the fund are tax deductible.

Other Helpful Links:

KUT.ORG - KUT is a local radio news station in affiliation with National Public Radio has a great list of helpful information as well as updates on their website.

Austin American Statesman - Statesman is a local news paper that has been of great assistance to our efforts in Oak Hill Wildfire Relief. They have many resources listed on their website.

Texas Forestry Service - Ready, Set, Go: Learn how to protect your home, including up to date Google earth maps showing wildfires.

Texas Forestry Service Google Earth Map - Click on this link to see an interactive map with current fires in Texas, scroll over fire icon to see percentage contained and acreage damaged for each fire. Also shows active and extinguished fires.

AUSTINHSEM - City of Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management gives up to date info on the current fire situation including what neighborhoods are evacuated and when they can return.

FEMA - Apply for FEMA assistance here! Even if you are not going to get help from the organization, everyone is going to want your FEMA number for identification. Sign up for Red Cross. Take the money – even if you think you don’t need it. People donated to the red cross to help YOU, and it would be a shame for that money to go to some endless bureaucratic nonsense like it did here in Oak Hill. Use the Red Cross Card TODAY – even though the expiration date on the card may be 4 months from now, they cut the funds off before that date, and will take the money back.

Texas Department of Insurance - If you have a fire loss, the following
information can help you understand your coverage and protect your interests. If you have questions about insurance, call TDI’s Consumer Help Line at 1-800-252-3439 or visit this link. To report a suspicious fire to the Arson/Burn Ban Hotline, call 1-877-434-7345.

TDI Wildfire Resource Page - TDI Resource Page

United Policyholders - “United Policyholders is a non-profit organization that’s on your side; we don’t take money from insurance companies. We give you the straight scoop on insurance matters. Guide you through the claims process. Answer your questions. Fight for your rights. Welcome to insurance help.”

Facebook Page: We Are Okay in Bastrop - If you are in the Bastrop fire area please post your name and info here so people will know that you are okay!

CAPCOG - Capitol Area Council of Governments has a service where they will text you on your cell phone in case of an emergency in your area. You plot your frequent locations when you register.

Here are all the numbers for people trying to find out what’s going on in their neighborhood and where they need to go to seek shelter:

Travis County: (512)974-6199
Bastrop County: (512)581-4023
Hays County: (512)753-2180

And here are the shelter numbers:

Bastrop Middle School (512) 321-3911
Smithville Recreation Center (512) 237-3282 extension 7
Vandergrift High School (Steiner Ranch) (512) 570-2300

Other News links:

YNN

KXAN

KVUE

FOX