In the past two years, wildfires have taken a particularly deadly and damaging toll on Californians from Ventura County in the South, to the Carr and Mendicino Complex fires in the Counties of Shasta, Mendicino, and Lake in the North.

While this might seem an item more connected to general news, the fact of the matter is that these fires have greatly impacted students and faculty who have lost work, homes, and in one tragic case, their lives.

This is Jeremy Stoke.  He was a Fire Inspector for Shasta County, and an Adjunct Instructor for the Shasta College Fire Academy.  He lost his life while assisting others escape the fire.

He was/is a hero, and adjuncts, he was one of us.

For me these fires carry a personal weight.  John Rall, one of the co-founders of Adjunct Crisis, who now teaches at Mendicino College, is presently under evacuation orders and cannot return to his home.  My Stepmother’s oldest brother, Eldon Diettert, died in the infamous Mann Gulch Fire of 1949.  Eldon was a college Freshman doing a Summer job as a firefighter.  My father worked as a Physical Sciences Technician for the US Forest Service helping to develop fire retardant and aerial firefighting techniques.

Below are links to sites where you can help students and faculty affected by these fires.  Please do.

Shasta College

https://www.gofundme.com/shasta-college-employee-help

Mendicino College

https://give.classy.org/mcgiving2018

Take care and be safe.

Geoff Johnson

A “Good” Adjunct