(Santa Barbara, CA) Direct Relief has offered emergency assistance to the Santa Barbara County Office of Emergency Services in response to the Tea Fire burning in the foothills of Santa Barbara and Montecito.

The organization stands ready to help protect emergency responders and residents if needed with 10,000 N-95 particulate respirators in stock at Direct Relief's Goleta warehouse. The masks help protect against fine particulate matter in heavy smoke and ash that can be harmful to breathe.

Starting at 5:45 pm Thursday, the fire swiftly consumed dry brush as winds from 25 to 75 miles per hour whipped flames up heavily wooded hillsides, threatening homes in Santa Barbara and Montecito. Residents north of Mountain Drive and Cold Springs Road have been ordered to evacuate.

Direct Relief has extensive experience responding to California wildfires, including the Gap Fire in Santa Barbara earlier this year and the San Diego Wildfires of 2007. That experience has shown that the N-95 masks become increasingly important as smoke and ash increase. A high wind warning is in effect for the area.

About Direct Relief International Founded in 1948, Direct Relief International is a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization focused on improving the quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. Direct Relief is one of two charities ranked by Forbes that has received a perfect fundraising efficiency score for five consecutive years and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as California's largest international nonprofit organization based on private support. For more information, please visit www.DirectRelief.org. ###