Red Cross helps displaced families as more house fires spark in Las Vegas Valley

VIDEO: More than 50 people have been displaced in house fires across the Las Vegas Valley in just the last three weeks, and the Red Cross of Southern Nevada has been assisting many of those families through the trauma and uncertainty of losing their home. “We’re all human. Trauma impacts us, and we have to be there for each other, our neighbors. It’s critical,” said Lowell Smith, Disaster Program Manager for the Red Cross of Southern Nevada. In one recent fire, a family not only lost their home, but also five cats. “That’s probably one of the hardest parts about my job is working with people impacted by the house fires and losing their pets. Unfortunately, it’s common, and it just magnifies the trauma that they go through,” Lowell said.
KVVU-TV FOX 5 Las Vegas

Las Vegas wildland firefighting crew provides career avenues for veterans

VIDEO: From the front lines to the fire line. A local wildland firefighting crew is provides a transition for veterans into civilian service. They play a crucial role in protecting public lands during severe wildfire seasons. The Vegas Valley Veterans Hand Crew has a common trait: military service. The 20-person crew was established in 2012 and is one of the first three BLM veteran crews to be commissioned. “The primary mission that the crew has is to transition veterans from the military service into civilian service and provide them a glide path into federal service, employment opportunities and allow them to seek permanent employment if they choose that route,” JP Blair, the superintendent of the Vegas Valley Hand Crew said. Blair says the role has changed his life after serving in the military.
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