On July 27, 2018, California’s Carr Fire hit the eastern side of Redding, California. Pacifica affiliate KKRN’s main studios are located 35 miles west of Redding near Round Mountain. KKRN broadcasts in Redding and surrounding areas. Station Manager, Ellen Sugg spoke with us and says that even though KKRN facilities were not directly affected, with the exception of going off air for part of a night due to power outages, many who volunteer at the station have had to evacuate their homes and four have lost their homes which was quite a blow to everyone. As a result of the fire’s smoke community members are encouraged not to do any strenuous outside activities, and in the worst areas some are wearing masks in order to protect themselves from smoke inhalation. Sugg goes on to say that they have not heard from listeners about the condition of their homes but she comments on the general feeling in the area, “it’s just really… scary or just unnerving you know, everybody is affected in terms of thinking about ‘how would you handle evacuation’, ‘what do you need to do to get ready’.”
Despite the challenging situation, the community is standing together. There are signs all over the city with messages of thanks to firefighters and various emergency services, as well as messages of encouragement for the community as a whole “People are trying to do what they can to help, including KKRN.” Sugg says. She went on to explain KKRN had been planning a fundraising event for months when the fire hit. The event was scheduled to be held just short of two weeks after the fire. After debating about whether to go through with the concert they decided to keep moving forward and donate funds raised at the door to a local fire victim fund. In addition, KKRN will be donating half the proceeds from a lunch fundraiser they host monthly. If you are interested in supporting KKRN visit their website at http://kkrn.org/.
If you are interested in donating the local fire victims you can visit Shasta Community Regional Foundation at http://www.shastarcf.org/funds/cdrf or the Tri County Bank Carr Fire Go Fund Me page at https://www.gofundme.com/tcb-2018-carr-fire-fund