Include a byline with the reporter’s name and Direct Relief in the following format: "Author Name, Direct Relief." If attribution in that format is not possible, include the following language at the top of the story: "This story was originally published by Direct Relief."
If publishing online, please link to the original URL of the story.
Maintain any tagline at the bottom of the story.
With Direct Relief's permission, news publications can make changes such as localizing the content for a particular area, using a different headline, or shortening story text. To confirm edits are acceptable, please check with Direct Relief by clicking this link.
If new content is added to the original story — for example, a comment from a local official — a note with language to the effect of the following must be included: "Additional reporting by [reporter and organization]."
If republished stories are shared on social media, Direct Relief appreciates being tagged in the posts:
Twitter (@DirectRelief)
Facebook (@DirectRelief)
Instagram (@DirectRelief)
Republishing Images:
Unless stated otherwise, images shot by Direct Relief may be republished for non-commercial purposes with proper attribution, given the republisher complies with the requirements identified below.
Maintain correct caption information.
Credit the photographer and Direct Relief in the caption. For example: "First and Last Name / Direct Relief."
Do not digitally alter images.
Direct Relief often contracts with freelance photographers who usually, but not always, allow their work to be published by Direct Relief’s media partners. Contact Direct Relief for permission to use images in which Direct Relief is not credited in the caption by clicking here.
Other Requirements:
Do not state or imply that donations to any third-party organization support Direct Relief's work.
Republishers may not sell Direct Relief's content.
Direct Relief's work is prohibited from populating web pages designed to improve rankings on search engines or solely to gain revenue from network-based advertisements.
Advance permission is required to translate Direct Relief's stories into a language different from the original language of publication. To inquire, contact us here.
If Direct Relief requests a change to or removal of republished Direct Relief content from a site or on-air, the republisher must comply.
For any additional questions about republishing Direct Relief content, please email the team here.
With more than a dozen fires currently burning in California, the state reached a grim milestone Monday – more than 4 million acres have burned this year, doubling the previous historical record.
With thousands evacuated and the health impacts of smoke, displacement, and the ongoing pandemic converging, Direct Relief has been responding to the medical needs of communities most impacted.
So far this wildfire season, Direct Relief has supported more than 30 health centers, public emergency response offices, and county health departments across California and the Western U.S. with more than 80 deliveries of protective gear, respiratory aids, ophthalmic products, tetanus vaccines, and other requested medicines and supplies.
As the fires rage on, requests remain high for medical supplies for patients with breathing issues – like asthma, often exacerbated by the thick, toxic air accompanying the blazes.
Respiratory medications, like albuterol and inhalers, are in currently high demand from local health providers, as are N95 respirators to filter out smoke, said Leighton Jones, U.S. Director of Emergency Response for Direct Relief. Air quality continues to register as “unhealthy” in many parts of the state.
Another concern, compounded by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, are the health impacts facing evacuees. When residents are forced to evacuate, care for chronic conditions may be interrupted. If evacuees experience a disruption in their insulin supply or medicine for high blood pressure or asthma, once-manageable conditions can quickly escalate, prompting an emergency room visit, even as local health systems reach critical capacity.
On Monday, Jones outlined a few of many shipments departing for health providers on the frontlines of the devastating fires.
California
In Napa and Sonoma Counties, the Glass Fire has destroyed nearly 500 homes across both counties, and more than 70,000 people have been told to evacuate.
One health center serving evacuees is OLE Health, a federally qualified health center, in Napa County. The health center has four locations throughout the area, including in Calistoga, just east of where the Glass Fire began. The town’s 5,000-plus residents have been told to evacuate, and Direct Relief is processing shipments of medical aid to assist with OLE Health’s efforts.
Ongoing shipments of medical aid have also been reaching the Santa Rosa Community Health Center in neighboring Sonoma County, where fire activity has been extensive, and devastating, in recent years. The Tubbs Fire, which ravaged Sonoma County in 2017, was one of the state’s deadliest, killing 22 people and destroying more than 5,600 structures.
In Butte County, site of the 2018 Camp Fire, the state’s most deadly on record, residents are still rebuilding and recovering from that blaze, even while dealing with a new one. The North Complex Fire has killed 15 and more than 2,400 structures have been damaged or destroyed.
Late last week, a Direct Relief shipment departed for the Butte County Public Health Department, via that county’s Emergency Operations Center, Jones said. Ampla Health, which operates a health center in Yuba City, also received a shipment of masks and respiratory medications.
Also in Northern California, Mendocino Community Health Center requested respiratory supplies last week from Direct Relief. A shipment of N95 masks was sent to the center, which is dealing with the effects of the August Complex Fire. The shipment also contained albuterol to address breathing issues, like asthma, that patients may be experiencing. After losing power during previous fires, the organization recently undertook efforts to install back-up power to continue patient care during an emergency.
In San Benito County, Emergency Medical Backpacks were also sent and arrived Monday. The backpacks, which contain first aid-type medical supplies to treat patients outside clinic walls, will equip EMS teams responding to emergency calls throughout the county.
Oregon
Six major fires continue burning in Oregon, and Direct Relief is coordinating closely with the state’s Department of Public Health. Three wildfire kits, which contain medicines and supplies often used to specifically treat wildfire-related health concerns, were shipped to the agency.
California still has two months to go in its traditional fire season, and with many residents still out of their homes and navigating personal loss, the impacts of this year’s blazes will extend long beyond containment efforts and suppression tactics.
Direct Relief will continue to respond in coordination with responding agencies to meet the needs of those in its home state of California, and throughout the West.
Giving is Good Medicine
You don't have to donate. That's why it's so extraordinary if you do.