American Red Cross of Missouri and Arkansas helped over 1000 people following home fires during recent dangerous cold weather

With brutally cold weather in recent days, the American Red Cross of Missouri and Arkansas has responded to numerous home fires that left many families without a place to stay and other daily essentials.   

“Since February 1, our teams have assisted over 1000 people following over 220 fires throughout the Missouri-Arkansas region,” said Chris Harmon, Regional Disaster Officer. 

 

In the Missouri portion of our region, of the over 1000 people assisted, 687 lived in the area covered by Missouri-based Red Cross chapters, which includes some border counties in Kansas and Illinois along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.   

To break this down locally, the Southern Missouri chapter Red Cross helped 136 people since Feb 1.  

 

 Red Cross provides immediate assistance following home fires including emergency lodging, support for food and clothing and other urgent needs, and help with recovery planning.

On average, the Missouri and Arkansas region responds to 10-15 fires each day.