NORTH COAST, Calif. – The Boy Scouts of America Packs of the Redwood Empire Council are coming together with the American Red Cross to build 4,000 sifter boxes for the residents affected by the Valley fire.

Agwood Mill and Lumber in Ukiah is generously donating all of the lumber and pre-cutting it to size.  Local Coldwell Banker agents are making financial donations.

Lowe’s has generously discounted the rest of the needed supplies and is providing transportation of the materials. Amy's Kitchen is kindly providing their parking lot as a space for the Boy Scouts to gather and to build.

The Boy Scouts began building the sifters on Wednesday and Thursday, and will continue on Sunday.

California Department of Public Health advises residents of recently burned areas to use caution in cleaning up ash from recent wildfires. The ash from trees burned in forest fires is relatively nontoxic and similar to ash that might be found in your fireplace.

However, ash from burned homes and other items will likely contain metals, chemicals, and potentially asbestos, items that can be considered toxic if breathed in or touched with wet skin.

If the ash is inhaled, it can be irritating to the nose, throat and lungs and may cause coughing. Exposure to airborne ash may trigger asthmatic attacks in people who already have asthma.

People should seek medical care if they experience health issues such as chest pain, chest tightness or shortness of breath.

In order to avoid possible health problems, the following steps are recommended:

· Do not allow children to play in the ash. Wash ash off toys before children play with them. Clean ash off pets.

·  Wear a mask, gloves, long sleeved shirts and long pants and avoid skin contact. Ash may be irritating to the skin, especially to those with sensitive skin.

·  If you do get ash on your skin, wash it off as soon as possible. Some wet ash can cause chemical burns.

· If you have a vegetable garden or fruit trees, wash the fruits or vegetables before eating them.

· Avoid getting ash into the air as much as possible. Do not use leaf blowers or take other actions that will put ash into the air.

· Shop vacuums and other common vacuum cleaners do not filter out small particles. They blow such particles out the exhaust into the air where they can be inhaled.

· The use of shop vacuums and other non-HEPA filter vacuums is not recommended. HEPA filter vacuums could be used, if available.

The Valley Fire is currently the third largest in California state history, covering more than 76,000 acres and destroying nearly 2,000 structures, including more than 1,200 homes.

On Tuesday night, nearly 200 people found a safe place to sleep and break from the heat and smoke in Red Cross and independent community shelters in California. The Salvation Army, Southern Baptist, Red Cross and many community groups are distributing food and relief supplies to support people as they return home.

The difficult recovery from these fires makes this a frustrating and emotionally draining time for everyone involved. Community and Red Cross mental health volunteers are available to help. Red Cross caseworkers are meeting one-on-one with people to create recovery plans, navigate paperwork and locate help from numerous partner agencies.

People affected by the Valley fire are encourage for register for FEMA assistance by calling 1-800-621-3362 or TTY 1-800-462-7585. Online registration is also available at: www.DisasterAssistance.gov .

For other recovery information, call the Valley Fire Resource Line at 1-888-564-2787 or visit www.lakecountylac.com .

People affected by the Valley fire also can call 855-224-2490 to learn about Red Cross services available.

The Red Cross and many community partners are working to ensure that the right resources and support are provided to those who have been affected by this disaster:

· Shelter: Twin Pine Casino, 22223 Highway 29, Middletown.

· Lake County Local Assistance Center: Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington St., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

· Red Cross Client Assistance Center: Middletown Community Methodist Church, 15833 Armstrong St., Middletown, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.