| Recently, in Big Pine, there has been a major fire. Perhaps you saw some of it on the news.
Rev. Karen Moore is our pastor in Big Pine, Rev. Matt & Erin McPhee -- our pastors in Bishop (Matt) and Independence (Erin) are residents of Big Pine as well.
Just days after the Center Fire in Big Pine destroyed 19 homes, the community and local service agencies are stepping up to provide aid to those displaced. Preliminary estimates put the damage caused by the blaze at more than $4.5 million.
Closer to ground zero, the Big Pine Community United Methodist Church will be open from dawn to dusk all this week.
The church will have tables of clothes available free to those in need, and will be open so folks can donate clean, gently used clothes of all sizes and types – shoes, jackets, pants, sweaters. Food is also available and the church welcomes all donations, perishable and non-perishable.
The Rev. Karen Moore said the church is also asking people to donate gift cards redeemable at local retailers and markets, e.g. Vons, Kmart, Joseph's, Rite Aide, preferably grocery stores.
On Saturday the church will sponsor a garage sale, where fire victims can pick up household items they need and have been lost in the fire, and residents can donate items as well.
To donate:
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- Checks can be made out to IMACA, specifying "Big Pine Fire" on the memo line, and mailed to P.O. Box 845. Bishop. CA 93515, or checks and other donations can be brought into the office at 224 S. Main St. For more information, call (760) 873-8557 or (800) 541-1822.
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- Eastern Sierra Community Bank has a fund set up and donations can be made in person or to any of the three branches in the area, or mailed to Eastern Sierra Community Bank, 351 N. Main St., Bishop, CA 93514. Check should be made out to the "Big Pine Fire Relief Fund." For more information, call Alyx Bien at (760) 937-0048.
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- Clothes, household items and food can be donated, or obtained by victims, at the Big Pine Community United Methodist Church from sunrise to sunset all this week located at the corner of School and Crocker streets.
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- A Community Dinner will be held from 4-7 p.m. on Friday, March 25 at Big Pine Community United Methodist Church. There is no charge for the dinner but donations and gift cards for the fire victims are encouraged.
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- A spaghetti and meatballs dinner for the fire victims will be held from 5:30-10 p.m. on Saturday, April 16 at the Bishop Elks Lodge.
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- Donation buckets are set up at Jeff's Country Kitchen, Wye Road Feed and Supply, Sierra Saddlery, the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and the Big Pine School.
-- from http://www.inyoregister.com/node/1184
A $10,000 emergency grant from UMCOR has been requested by Bishop Mary Ann Swenson to aid the church's relief efforts in Big Pine.
Prayer quilt squares made by parishioners from Christ Our Savior UMC in Quartz Hill were handed to me for distribution to fire victims.
Feel free to contact Karen Moore directly on how your faith communities can assist Big Pine recover from the Center Fire. God bless our collective efforts!
from Rev. Adiel DePano, Pasadena District Superintendent.
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Terry
| | 
BIG PINE, Calif. (KABC) -- A large fire started in Big Pine Friday evening, Mar. 18, according to the Inyo County Sheriff's Dept. Highway 395 was closed southbound from Bishop, and northbound from Independence. Northbound Highway 168 East was also closed. Mandatory evacuations were ordered for areas west of Main Street in Big Pine, and for Night Manor, Rolling Green and Terrace areas of Big Pine, according to the sheriff's department. Voluntary evacuations were in effect east of Highway 395 in Big Pine. Evacuation centers were set up at the Bishop Fair Grounds, Big Pine High School and Lone Pine High School. A public line for locating displaced residents was established at (760) 937-1686. 
Firefighters and personnel from agencies throughout the state assisted in the Center Fire. The fire destroyed nearly 20 homes and did approximately $4.5 million in damage. Photo by Mike Bodine |
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