The wildfire crisis in California has killed 42 people and destroyed 8,400 structures, according to Cal Fire.
Spreading fires have caused many families to take shelter in a friend or family member’s home only to awaken in the middle of the night needing to evacuate, again. Aldelano Solar Cold Chain Solutions has created mobile resources for moments like these. Our completely off-grid solutions allow emergency responders and aid workers to take lifesaving solutions where they are needed most.
While many individuals have traveled many miles to stay with family, others have stayed for fear of losing their jobs. Housing was scarce in Santa Rosa before the wildfires. According to the La Time, “a year ago, the City Council in Santa Rosa, the region’s largest city with 175,000 people, declared a state of emergency over rising housing costs.”
Today, thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes, sleep in vehicles and face overcrowding in shelters. The demand for hotel rooms means many cannot book a room past one night and there are very few available apartments. Many will be able to claim insurance money and rebuild, but poorer communities will have to rebuild elsewhere as property and rent prices will rise.
“Now, with Coffey Park and other neighborhoods devastated across the region — estimates of damage to residential properties have topped $3 billion, and Santa Rosa lost 5% of its homes — the number of new families flooding the market is giving rise to fears of widespread displacement and even higher costs.” – LA Times
While many of the fires have been contained, recovery will take years. The wildfire crisis has created one of the state’s largest debris removal efforts ever. In the short-term Aldelano Solar Cold Chain Solutions can provide mobile solutions for emergency responders and shelters. From solar cold storage to water generated from moisture in the air, our solutions can aid those in need with lifesaving off-grid necessities.
Our solutions can be vital resources in the upcoming months as shelters manage high capacity and aid workers struggle to meet the demands of the community.
Citations:
Dillon, Liam. “Thousands Displaced by Northern California’s Wildfires Now Face the Region’s Housing Shortage.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2017, www.latimes.com/politics/la-me-santa-rosa-fires-housing-shortage-20171019-story.html.
Park, Madison. “They Survived the California Fires. Now, the Crisis Is Finding Housing.” CNN, Cable News Network, 21 Oct. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/10/21/us/california-fires-housing-crisis/index.html.
