by Craig MacLellan
California is currently experiencing some of the deadliest wildfires in the state’s history. This story has captured the attention of the nation, if not the world, and is only made possible by the superb reporting of journalists right here in the Bay Area. Media are currently under pressure from all sides with dwindling budgets and public mistrust, but in times like this, they step up and tell the stories that need to be told and, in due course, will ask the questions that need to be answered.
You can find the San Francisco Chronicle’s wildfire coverage here, with Bay Area TV and radio stations also providing regular updates. The team at the Chico Enterprise-Record are also doing a fantastic reporting job under extreme circumstances.
For more information on how to support the residents of Butte County, the American Red Cross has a helpful guide. The California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Relief Fund also supports relief and recovery efforts in the aftermath of devastating California wildfires. And remember to buy a local paper. In times like these, local journalists need our support more than ever.
Thank you to the firefighters, aid workers, healthcare workers, journalists and all involved with helping people, animals and communities recover from these monumental disasters.
As we head into the holidays, I am thankful for the journalists who keep us informed, the first responders who run TOWARDS danger, and the spirit of people who have lost everything but just keep going. Fingers and toes crossed that these fires end soon.
I applaud the work of local journalists, but also want to publicly thank our firefighters and first responders who have helped stem the loss of life and property in the worst wildfire in California history. This Thanksgiving week, I give thanks to them.
What an unusually difficult time it is to live in Northern California and the Bay Area. My thoughts are with everyone who’s impacted in some way by these horrific disasters.