Monetary donations, not donated goods, are the best way to help Kittitas County residents whose homes and property have been damaged or destroyed in the Taylor Bridge Fire, the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office says.

Cash donations allow for the purchase of specific supplies in the exact quantities most needed at each step in the response and recovery process, while donations of items such as furniture and clothing create challenges of storage, inventorying and distribution, according to Mackenzie Williams of the Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office.

“We know that Washington residents are generously responding to the plight of county residents who have suffered losses in the fire,” Williams said. “But with cash donations, civic, voluntary and faith-based organizations can purchase specific supplies to meet the exact needs those who’ve suffered losses, and at the same time help out local businesses to recover.”

For information on how to help, contact the Red Cross at 312 North Pearl Street in Ellensburg, phone: 509-925-5866. Resources for residents affected by the Kittitas County wildfires can be found at www.kittitascountychamber.com/Chamber-Profile/fire-emergency-resources.html.