BEVERLY HILLS—The city of Beverly Hills is assisting with communities impacted by recent wildfires throughout Southern California. According to a press release from the Therese Kosterman, Public Information Officer for the city of Beverly Hills, the city is communicating with emergency management organizations currently involved in firefighting efforts, and the Beverly Hills Fire Department has sent a strike team to provide assistance with fire suppression in Ventura County. Beverly Hills will continue adhering to national frameworks for providing cross-jurisdictional support in times of disaster.

How to Help:

Providing financial assistance is the most effective way to support the evacuees, including pets and animals. The public is encouraged to donate through the following organizations:

-National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD)

https://www.nvoad.org/howtohelp/donate/

-American Red Cross

http://www.redcross.org/

-Salvation Army

http://www.salvationarmy-socal.org/southern-california/news/socalfires

-Los Angeles County Animal Care Foundation

https://lacountyanimals.org/

Be aware that scammers are known to take advantage of disaster response situations, and consider the following:

-Be cautious of requests for donations by unfamiliar organizations or people.

-Beware of unsolicited contacts and appeals on social media sites. Some leading relief charities now accept donations via cell phone, but unsolicited text messages, like unsolicited telephone and email communications, should be viewed with suspicion and handled with caution.

-Crowd-funding and other types of internet-giving can be tools of tremendous good, but as with any type of giving it can be abused, so proceed with caution when donating online.