The JCC of Sonoma County began soliciting funds today to help victims of last week’s massive wildfire in and around Boulder, Colorado.

“The trauma of Sonoma County’s fires in recent years is still with us,” read a press release sent out by JCC executive director Scott Brockman and board president Matt Epstein. “We know firsthand as a community that recovery from fires that destroy property and lives is a long road.”

Brockman told J. that it was immediately clear to him and other leaders in the Jewish community that they had a special responsibility to reach out to Colorado. 

“When we were suffering the impact of local fires and displacement,” the press release said, “groups and individuals outside our community came to our aid. Now ‘Sonoma Strong,’ we can make ourselves present to help heal another community.”

Brockman said that JewishColorado, the Denver-based Jewish federation and foundation, is accepting donations to its Boulder Fire Relief Fund, while the JCC in Boulder is providing direct services to affected individuals, including showers and meeting spaces.

The Marshall Fire, one of the most damaging in Colorado history, erupted on Dec. 30 before roaring across suburban neighborhoods in Boulder and Jefferson counties, burning approximately 1,000 homes and  prompting more than 30,000 residents to evacuate from their homes, according to the New York Times. The investigation into the cause of the fires has been hampered by heavy snowfall in the area on Jan. 1, according to media reports.