How to help victims of Mill Fire in Weed, California: GoFundMe verifies these fundraisers
After a fire ignited Friday near the city of Weed, leaving two women dead and at least 91 buildings in ruin, GoFundMe created an online hub for verified fundraisers to help victims “rebuild and recover” from the blaze.
The fundraising website’s page, “How You Can Help: Donate to Mill Fire Relief Fundraisers,” lists 23 verified pages as of Tuesday morning and will continue to update as other accounts complete the verification process.
To verify an account, the company looks at banking information, according to its website. The site also requires government-issued identification, other forms of identification and an address. GoFundMe holds “all funds raised until the recipient is added to the fundraiser to withdraw, and their identity has been confirmed.
Since Friday afternoon, the deadly Siskiyou County fire has traveled north into the community of Lake Shastina. The blaze now stretches 6.7 square miles.
The fire, which Weed residents suspect began at the Roseburg Forest Products mill, is currently 55% contained, Cal Fire’s Siskiyou Unit said in a Tuesday morning update.
Here are the verified accounts that have been added so far, asking for monetary donations to help the families affected by the Mill Fire in Siskiyou County, according to GoFundMe:
Verified accounts
A total of $35,408 has been donated to GoFundMe’s verified accounts seeking monetary donations to rebuild from the Mill Fire in Northern California.
GoFundMe account, “Donate to Ivon Kelly, Mill Wild Fire Survivor” has raised $1,375 since it posted Monday. The organizer is asking for $50,000 to help their family “put some of the pieces back together” after losing their cat to the fire and collapsing in the street from the smoke, the fundraiser states.
GoFundMe account, “Rebuilding Hope” has raised $3,025 since it posted Sunday. The organizer is asking for $10,000 to help family “purchase and furnish a new home.”
Another account, ”Lost House and Everything to Mill Fire” has raised close to $5,000 since it posted Sunday. The organizer is asking for $20,000 to help their family start over because “everything was lost to the Mill Fire.”
“The Tobar Family” has raised $100 since it posted Saturday. The organizer is asking for $5,000 to help their family purchase diapers, wipes, food and medicine.
GoFundMe will continue to update the hub page as more accounts are verified. It also has its own fundraiser, “Wildfire Relief Fund 2022.” It was established to help Oregonians impacted by wildfires, according to an email from a company spokesperson.
“Funds raised will help a wide range of relief work from providing shelter, food and other needed supplies, to supporting long-term recovery and relocation efforts, and to fund firefighter training and resources as they work to contain these fires,” the fundraiser states.
This story was originally published September 6, 2022 at 10:20 AM with the headline "How to help victims of Mill Fire in Weed, California: GoFundMe verifies these fundraisers."