Realtor groups pitch in to assist wildfire victims

Realtor groups pitch in to assist wildfire victims, evacuees
Half a million people displaced by Southern California fires
By Glenn Roberts Jr., Inman News

Realtor trade groups and individual members have worked to assist residents displaced by several major wildfires ripping across Southern California.

Mike Mercurio, executive vice president for the San Diego Association of Realtors, said the group has been working with the San Diego mayor's office, the county, and an apartment association to quickly locate rental property for victims and other evacuees. Meanwhile, Mercurio himself was forced to evacuate his home and has been staying at a hotel.

The group sent an e-mail to its 12,000 members this week asking for assistance in identifying available rental properties, Mercurio said.

Also, the statewide California Association of Realtors trade group announced that it is offering grants of $1,000 to $5,000 for Realtor members and associated staff. And the statewide group seeks contributions to a disaster relief fund.

To contribute to the fund, make checks payable to California Community Foundation and write "C.A.R. Disaster Relief Fund" on the memo line. Checks can be sent to: California Community Foundation, 445 S. Figueroa St., #3400, Los Angeles, CA 90071-1638. Contributions can also be made online at the following Web site: http://www.calfund.org/8/giving/calrealtorsrelief.php.

Mercurio was among a group of more than 500,000 Southern Californians this week who've evacuated their homes to escape wildfire danger. The fires raging in the region have so far caused two deaths from burns, four deaths during the evacuation, and an estimated $1 billion or more in damage to San Diego County alone, according to reports. The fires, which range from north of Santa Barbara to the Mexico border, have collectively destroyed about 1,500 homes and scorched about 665 square miles.