Hurricane and Fire Relief

Our hearts go out to everyone who has been affected by the tragedy of Hurricane Ida. On Sunday, August 29, Hurricane Ida made landfall at Port Fourchon, Louisiana, as a powerful Category 4 storm. More than a million homes are without power because of winds of 150 mph, life-threatening storm surge, catastrophic wind damage, and flooding rainfall. Storms continue to batter the Northeast, with the death toll rising to over 50 as of now. Our thoughts and prayers are with those suffering from this storm and the emergency personnel working on support operations.

The Red Cross has mobilized hundreds of trained disaster workers and relief supplies to shelter and support thousands of people in evacuation shelters from Texas to Florida. They are focused on providing safe shelter, meals, and comfort for people in need. Our company has contributed $25,000 to the American Red Cross.

California has faced over 7,065 fire incidents in 2021. To date, 1,968,326 acres have burned, 3,050 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and sadly, one fatality has been reported. The Dixie Fire that started July 14 (Butte, Tehama, Plumas, Shasta, and Lassen counties) has burned over 917,579 acres and is only 59% contained. The town of Greenville was lost. The Caldor Fire (El Dorado and Amador counties) that began on August 14 has burned over 216,650 acres and is only 49% contained. South Lake Tahoe, a popular vacation destination, was under evacuation orders as the fire came within 3 miles of the city. Our company has contributed $25,000 to the California Fire Foundation.

A core value of BAF is to “Make Things Better.” That means we are committed to making a meaningful difference – in our employees’ lives, for our customers, and in the communities where we work and live. I can’t imagine a better way for us to live that value than contributing to these causes.

Bryan Reese
President and Chief Executive Officer