A Sonoma State service has been offering assistance to students, faculty and staff impacted by the Kincade Fire. NomaCares is the SSU portal for a variety of services to help the university’s community recover from yet another devastating wildfire. The program connects students with counseling and psychological services, the student health center, financial aid, seawolf services and academic advisors. Additionally, staff and faculty can use the service to be connected with human resources, employee counseling and faculty affairs.

“We understand that this has been a traumatic experience for our Sonoma State community and that returning to campus can be difficult,” says Jamie Zamjahn of the NomaCares center, “We want every student to know that we are working on services and temporary changes in academic policies to assist those affected by the fires,” Jamie said that as of Wednesday, roughly 20 emails and twelve phone calls from students and staff had already been answered. 

Many students struggled or are continuing to struggle with school due to the implications of the fire. Being evacuated, displaced, having power shut down for several days, suffering from smoke inhalation, or losing homes are just a few ways Sonoma State students were impacted. As of now, three confirmed students have lost their homes to the Kincade Fire. This can be a devastating blow to a student’s progress in the middle of a semester, and without assistance, can completely reshape one’s education plans. 

The Kincade fire was considered one of the largest fires in Sonoma County history, prompting evacuations of nearly 200,000 residents. After burning over 77,000 acres and 374 structures, it was announced as fully contained on Wednesday evening. “I think firefighters obviously are breathing a sigh of relief right now,” Cal Fire Division Chief Jonathan Cox told the Press Democrat.

The fire had burned for 14 days straight, and several setbacks made it seem at times as though containment was nowhere in the near future. The good news is that there were no reported human deaths, in stark contrast with the 2017 Tubbs Fire, which killed 22 people, and the notorious 2018 CampFire, which killed 85 people and left tens of thousands homeless. First responders worked tirelessly to ensure safe and fast evacuation of communities, and residents seemed to understand the grave danger that a wildfire can pose. The fact that no human lives were lost was incredibly fortunate. Still, this likely provides minimal comfort to people whose homes and possessions were lost in the fire. Working through the loss of a home can be a daunting uphill battle, especially to those who may have already been impacted by previous regional fires.

During such challenging times, community rallying seems to be more critical than ever. “In moments like these, Californians come together to help folks who have had to leave everything behind,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a tweet while fundraising to support fire victims. 

Sonoma State University’s Nomacares program wants to remind students, faculty and staff that their services remain available to assist those impacted. “Even if a student is not sure what they need, they can contact us and we will help direct them appropriately,” Jamie Zamjahn continues. Jamie and the Nomacares team want to extend their “deepest condolences” to the three students who lost their homes in the fire and continue helping those still in need. Those seeking assistance from the university can reach out at [email protected].