PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Coast to coast response efforts are now underway as the wildfires rage in southern California. Local Rhode Island disaster services team already has one volunteer en route to Los Angeles to assist with shelter staging, resources and emotional support. ABC6 spoke with Jamie Lynch about what those initial support efforts will look like. Major companies are already jumping in to try to ease the burden for fire victims. Uber and Lyft are offering free rides for those who need to evacuate, while Airbnb is opening its doors to provide temporary housing for people displaced by the fires. AAT&T and Verizon are also offering customers unlimited calls, texts and data for those in hard hit areas. The American Red Cross and Salvation Army are accepting donations online, and the World Central Kitchen is feeding first responders. And victims are already setting up GoFundMe pages. And as always it’s important to remember that when in doubt, it’s best to directly contact these organizations yourself, rather than giving money to someone who’s calling or emailing you. Categories: News, US & World News