For the past week, the internet has been all shades of red, orange, and black.

As of this morning, firefighters were struggling to extinguish the fire. 4 wildfires caused by wind More than 62 square miles have been burned across metro Los Angeles since Wednesday, killing at least 25 people. And the situation is not slowing down with extremely strong winds that are expected to worsen over the next few days.

“Typically, we don’t see a lot of large fires this time of year because of the weather and the humidity,” Arizona Forestry Battalion Chief Richard Jones said in a recorded interview provided to this newspaper. Inmaricopa. “Since we are not receiving any moisture, these fires are still active and can be very unstable. So our request is that the community be drought aware and keep their homes safe. Be especially careful and alert when it comes to your surroundings and fires.”

Senita resident Krystle Benally remains cautious but wanted to do more. The 36-year-old said it’s stressful to scroll through her social media feed and see endless images of wildfires in Southern California.

“When I get on my phone and scroll, all I see are pictures of people running away from their homes. I see animals running away,” she said. Inmaricopa. “It was really stressful, and that’s all I kept seeing.”

Initially, Benally said he “felt a kind of helplessness” about the extreme weather that affected friends, family and millions of strangers 400 miles away.

“It’s tough being in Arizona. [over] There…but after a while I thought, ‘I can help,'” she said.

and help her did

Seeing those endless images prompted Benally to take action over the weekend.

“I had the idea to message everyone and start texting to get it started,” she said.

Benally worked with members of his off-road group, the Maricopa Overlanders, to host a donation drive and collect numerous items, including new and unused hygiene products, face masks, food, water, and animal supplies. has started.

And the group, which is now trying to get the word out, will be hosting a dedicated donation event Saturday morning outside Tractor Supply Co., located at 17590 Shea Way. Benally said Maricopan can drop off donations between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m. that day.

Several members of the group will then transport donations to several locations in Los Angeles on January 25th.

For Benally, it was a moving experience to see the community come together for a common purpose of helping their neighbors, she said.

“To show everyone affected by the fires that they are not forgotten and that there are people who will help and recognize their needs is knowing we have made a difference. “It’s worth it,” she said.

Donation return location

Can’t attend a donation event? Here are some locations in nearby communities where you can donate until January 23rd.

Underdog Motorsports — 255 E. Southern Ave., Ste. 7, Mesa

Ed Whitehead’s Tire Pro — 313 N. Maricopa St., Casa Grande

Modern Off-Road and Automotive — 3602 W. Clarendon Ave., Phoenix

Tracy Daniel House — 1078 N. Crimm Rd., San Tan Valley