Philadelphia, New Jersey volunteers deploying to help with California fires: "There will be a lot of crying"
Several disaster workers from the Philadelphia region are deploying to California to help with relief efforts as at least five fires burning in the Los Angeles area have scored more than 45 square miles. Nearly 179,000 people are under evacuation orders or warnings.
At least five people have died in the wildfires.
Three of the five fires burning are not contained, including the Palisades and Eaton fires, the two largest.
The volunteers from our region going to help include one from New Jersey, who is no stranger to helping in times of need.
Penny Tedesco will mark her fourth out-of-stage deployment with the American Red Cross. Most recently, she helped during the historic floods in Asheville, North Carolina.
"This is the stage of a large disaster, such as this, where we say all hands on deck," Tedesco said.
With her bags packed, Tedesco made one last stop Thursday at the Red Cross building in Pennsauken, New Jersey, before she headed to the airport for a flight to Los Angeles.
Four volunteers from New Jersey are currently deploying to California. However, the region chapter is prepared to send more in the coming days and weeks.
Tedesco, a mother of two from Maple Shade, New Jersey,
"This one is going to be more difficult because it is right as everything is happening and people are getting news now," Tedesco said. "Whereas my other deployments, it was a few weeks after the fact and they knew what had happened and everything. It's going to be tough. I packed a lot of tissues. I know I'm going to need a lot of tissues. There will be a lot of crying."
The Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania said three members are helping with the wildfires — two volunteers will be heading to Southern California and the other will assist virtually.
"The commitment, the minimum commitment is for two weeks," Frederick Lehman from Lansdowne, Pennsylvania, said. "But I usually stay a month-and-a-half depending on the need."
Lehman's focus once on the ground is logistics. Lehman was also in Asheville during the flooding.
"Asheville was really horrible," Lehman said, "but this close to a metropolitan like this is pretty scary. So, I really don't know what to expect.
Lehman agrees this initial response is just the start of running a marathon here. Support will be needed for months.
"There's a big difference between the day it happens and 12 weeks from now when people are still displaced," said Rosie Taravella, the regional executive for the New Jersey region of the American Red Cross.
CBS News has a list of resources available for anyone seeking to help the victims of the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires.