wfn.org | Lutherans Keep Watch on Fires in California

[<NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

Title: Lutherans Keep Watch on Fires in California
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

>September 3, 2009  

>Lutherans Keep Watch on Fires in California
>09-195-MRC

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutherans in southern California continue to
monitor the Station Fire in Los Angeles County, which began Aug. 26.
According to Tempie D. Beaman, the fire may not be contained until Sept.
15.

Beaman is Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) coordinator, Lutheran
Social Services of the Southwest, Los Angeles. LDR is a collaborative
ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran
Church-Missouri Synod.

There are about 20 active fires in California. The largest is the
Station Fire, measuring more than 200 square miles. "That's larger than
the City of Chicago I'm told," Beaman said. "The governor has declared a
state of emergency for Los Angeles County and other counties in the state
to ensure that firefighting resources are available," she said.

There are eight Lutheran congregations in the fire area. "Several
have members who were evacuated. At this time there is no information
regarding whether members or churches have lost property," Beaman said.

About 28 percent of the Station Fire is contained. To date the fire
has burned 140,150 acres of land, 62 residences, three commercial
properties and 27 buildings. Two firefighters were killed and three
civilians suffered burns, Beaman reported.

Some mandatory evacuations are expected to be lifted in the evening
of Sept. 2, while others remain in effect in Los Angeles County.

"We're in fire season all year long given the drought conditions of
the past three years," Beaman said, adding that recovery services for
fires in 2007 have just closed. Recovery services for fires in 2008 may
continue to the early part of 2010.
- - -

Information about Lutheran Disaster Response is at
http://www.ldr.org on the Web.

>DOMESTIC DISASTERS:

Editors: When listing organizations receiving funds to aid survivors of
major disasters inside the United States, Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin
Islands, please include:

ELCA Domestic Disaster Response, P.O. Box 71764, Chicago, Illinois 60694-
1764
Credit card gift line: 1-800-638-3522
Credit card gifts via Internet: http://www.ELCA.org/disaster

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog