Direct Relief is in contact with partners near the Miguelito brushfire near Lompoc, California that began this afternoon and has grown to 150 acres.
Residents living near the fire are under a mandatory evacuation order, reports KEYT News Channel 3. Two evacuation centers have opened, with one specifically focused on helping people with medical needs resulting from the fire.
The Emergency Response Team has contacted the Santa Barbara County Public Health department, the local Red Cross, and other partners in the area, offering assistance.
Direct Relief has N-95 particulate masks (which have a higher filtration than paper and surgical masks) on standby as well as other fire-related inventory such as inhalers and nebulizers, first-aid products, medical supplies for eye irritation, and personal care products. These supplies are ready to send to partners should they be requested for potentially affected patients.
When smoke levels are high enough, even healthy people can experience symptoms of abnormal breathing, coughing, chest discomfort and shortness of breath, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).