Red Cross' funds burned up by recent fires Red Cross' funds burned up by recent fires (March 14, 2003)

Non profit pledges to continue support even if it dips into reserves

by Cheri Lucas

Arecent rash of fires in Palo Alto and Mountain View has depleted the Palo Alto Area American Red Cross' disaster relief fund, forcing the nonprofit to dip into its operations funds.

More fires than usual have blazed in the past two months, including a two-alarm fire at 572 Arastradero Road on Feb. 24. On average, the Palo Alto Red Cross responds to one fire per month, said public relations manager John Williams. With the number of fires climbing to six in the past several weeks, the demand on the Red Cross' services has easily tripled, Williams said.

"We have exceeded our budget and begun double-dipping into the resources that keep our normal, day-to-day operations going," Williams said. "But our core mission at the Red Cross is to provide disaster service," he said, even if that means tapping into its reserve fund or appealing to its national headquarters for further assistance.

Four months still remain in the Red Cross' fiscal year, but the nonprofit's commitments to displaced families over the past few months have forced them to exceed their disaster relief fund by 20 percent, Williams said.

The organization predicts the expenses will increase over the next few months, due to the $1000 spent on the recent Arastradero Road fire as well as those disasters that may occur in the upcoming months.

The Red Cross' Palo Alto Area Chapter has spent approximately $500 to $2500 per fire this year. The funds to displaced victims -- whether an individual or a family -- are distributed on a case-by-case basis. Case managers sit down with the victims to determine their specific needs, whether that encompasses lodging, food, more extensive financial help or even health or mental health assistance, Williams said.

Funding for the Palo Alto Red Cross is generated primarily through community donations. Each year the chapter allocates a portion of its budget to disaster relief.

"However, it is hard to plan for the number of disasters in any given fiscal year," Williams said.

"Fires come and go in cycles," said Lynn Brown, public information officer at the Mountain View Fire Department. "They just happen."

No unusual trend is noted in the recent blazes, and the Mountain View Fire Department attributes most of the incidents to common causes. A fire on Latham Street several weeks ago was sparked from a piece of furniture that was too close to a wall heater.