TAMPA, Fla. — A Tampa-based, donor-funded, international rescue organization has arrived in California to help people who lost everything in the wildfires.
Bryan Stern is the founder of Grey Bull Rescue. It's a veteran-led organization.
He has 12 team members on the ground and should arrive in California on Friday evening.
"Grey Bull Rescue works where the government isn’t — either because there’s a policy thing, or it’s too dangerous, or it’s a political thing or simply just a resource thing. These fires are huge. LA Fire does not have the resources that they need to do it which is why the National Guard is on its way and other agencies are coming in and non-profits like Grey Bull is on its way," he said.
Stern said his organization plans to help with evacuations and rescues. They will also provide necessities to people who lost their homes.
"Here in Tampa, we think of water being very destructive. Water is extremely destructive, but water isn’t as bad as fire — fire eats, water destroys, fire likes to eat," he said.
Bryan and his team assisted people in Florida during Hurricane Milton and Helene. They also helped during the Maui wildfires in 2023.
He said his team members have seen widespread devastation in California.
"The reality is in California most homes that have been burned will fit into a coffee cup. There’s nothing there. It’s a slab of concrete so you have people that have their entire livelihoods everything whittled down to a backpack and it’s not coming back either, no way to recover," said Stern.
Stern previously founded Project Dynamo. He started Grey Bull Rescue in 2024.
"We’ve done 727 missions. Over 7,100 people my team and I have rescued all over the world from Gaza, Haiti, Afghanistan, Russia, Ukraine, Syria, Lebanon Sudan, Hurricane Ian, the fire in Maui, Milton and Helene," said Stern.
To learn more about the non-profit organization visit: https://greybullrescue.org/
Riverview homeowner Sirrita Rubiano faces financial strain over a vinyl fence damaged during Hurricane Milton, which she believes belongs to her community.
