Red Cross working around the clock to help Lorne Bushfire affected communities

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Red Cross volunteers are on the ground helping the hundreds of people affected by the Lorne Bushfire.

‘Many people are understandably distressed as they wait to find out what has happened to their properties around Wye River and Separation Creek,’ says Australian Red Cross State Manager Emergency Services Angela Sutherland. ‘We are seeing incredible efforts from Red Cross volunteers along with our partner agencies, supporting people overnight and over the course of the day in relief centres at Apollo Bay and Torquay. So many people are doing an amazing job in some very trying conditions, and at a particularly special time of year.

‘We’re not sure of the final impact,‘ Ms Sutherland says. ‘But we know that people need our help now, and they will continue to need it for some time yet. We are working closely with local councils, Department of Health and Human Services, Emergency Management Victoria and our other partners to provide support and information where appropriate.’

Red Cross continues to encourage people to register with Register.Find.Reunite. via the Red Cross website at https://register.redcross.org.au/. ‘Over the next couple of days we will be phoning those who registered with us to check in and ensure they have access to the support they need.’

Ms Sutherland says so far several hundred people have registered either at relief centres or online.

You can support Red Cross work helping communities across Australia and around the world prepare for, respond to and recover from a disaster by donating at redcross.org.au/disaster-relief-and-recovery.

Emergencies like the recent bushfires can be extremely distressing and Red Cross has many free recovery resources, including resources just for children, available on its website: redcross.org.au/emergency-resources.  Additional Recovery information can also be found at recovery.vic.gov.au.

‘It’s still early days but it’s important that people know that recovery from an emergency like this can be a long process that can take months and even years. Experience shows that it can be helpful to people’s recovery to get involved in local support activities and reach out for help, be it from family, government or community services.’