The California Wildfires

Last week, the State Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, proclaimed a state of emergency in Los Angeles County, as wildfires sweeping through the National Forests to the north of Los Angeles caused devastation to an estimated 140,000 acres of land, an area roughly the size of Chicago, prompting thousands to evacuate their homes. 

This is a devastating, tragic situation for Californians.

GSK employs over 250 in the area affected by the blazes and while there were some close calls, fortunately all are safe.  (Sometimes those of us on the East Coast Pharma corridor can forget California is home to so many of our biopharmaceutical colleagues - a recent report estimated over 120,000 Californians are directly employed in our industry.) 

Our company is lending support to the relief efforts for communities caught up in the Station Fire, which is estimated to be the largest and most dangerous of the wildland blazes, having been rampaging out of control since August 26.

Working with one of our key charity partners, Direct Relief International, GSK is making a donation of over 24,000 units of inhalers to low income and uninsured individuals at risk from asthma and breathing difficulties, aggravated by the prevalence of wildfire ash and smoke.  As respiratory issues are one of the most pressing health concerns, these products are in great demand throughout the affected areas.

Based in Santa Barbara, Direct Relief works closely with the California Primary Care Association (CPCA) and the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County (CCALAC) to ensure their emergency response teams meet the needs of clinics and health centers located in the fire zones.  The availability of pre-positioned GSK products in Direct Relief's Santa Barbara warehouse in California and their proximity to the fire zones means that they are well-equipped to make a prompt and targeted response to medical needs as and when required.

(Photo courtesy of www.fire.ca.gov.)