COLUMBIA, S.C. — The third-largest fire in California history, the Dixie fire, continues to grow.
In less than 24 hours, the wildfire wiped the historic gold rush town of Greenville and nearby Canyondam off the map. Everything from trees, to cars and homes, went up in flames.
So far, the Dixie fire has scorched a territory larger than Los Angeles.
For many forced to evacuate their homes, shelters are on standby. Members of the South Carolina Region of the American Red Cross are there to help coordinate these efforts.
"I took off [Friday] afternoon and landed at about 1:30 [Saturday] morning locally in California. I'm already working," said Jim White of Longs, South Carolina.
White is serving his first deployment with the Red Cross. He signed up to volunteer for the Red Cross of S.C. in June.
He spoke with News19 from the Red Cross office in Sacramento, donning his Palmetto State Red Cross pin.
"I'm getting my lay of the land for the wildfire area I will probably be sent to [Sunday]," said White. "That's the Gold Country fire."
He said his role will be coordinating shelters.
"The thing that we stress with the volunteers is flexibility because doing that [Sunday] may change from sheltering or working a food truck," White explained. "It may change to interviewing clients to determine how we can best help them."
Right now, the Red Cross of South Carolina is supporting 15 large disaster relief operations around the country.
"We've currently got nine people serving in California," said William Hurtes, coordinator of the workforce engagement team for Red Cross S.C.
He said the difference between responding to a wildfire versus another natural disaster is that it's ongoing.
"In South Carolina, we're so used to the hurricane. The hurricane comes, the hurricane's gone then we deal with the aftermath. With a wildfire, that might be a week or two weeks or three weeks of ongoing fires where people might not know what the status of their home is," said Hurtes. "The fire moves so we might be opening new shelters or evacuations may be lifted and a shelter is no longer needed. So it really is a very dynamic environment."
Each volunteer is deployed for two weeks and serves about 12 hours a day.
Each person is ready at a moment's notice to pick up camp and provide shelter and emotional support to evacuees.
"That uncertainty until we know for sure what the status is of their home and then can help them rebuild their lives and provide those essential services they would need upon finding out that worst news that they might have lost a home," said Hurtes.
White said this first assignment took 10 hours and 2,900 miles of travel, and he's grateful for the mission.
"It's a very rewarding volunteer position...I feel good that I'm able to assist folks," he said.
The South Carolina Region of the American Red Cross is always looking for volunteers. To get started, click here.