AAA Oklahoma Employees Helping California Wildfire Victims

Hundreds of calls are flooding the AAA Oklahoma City office as victims of the California “Camp Fire” file claims. Over 2,000 AAA homeowners have filed claims for destroyed homes, and more than 1,000 have filed claims for destroyed vehicles. Fi

Tuesday, November 27th 2018, 6:12 pm



Hundreds of calls are flooding the AAA Oklahoma City office as victims of the California “Camp Fire” file claims.

 Over 2,000 AAA homeowners have filed claims for destroyed homes, and more than 1,000 have filed claims for destroyed vehicles.

Fire crews have since contained the fire, which has killed 88 people. According to officials, 203 people remain missing.

Around 200 claim agents in Oklahoma City are answering the phones, each ring with a different story.

“One of our agents was told that the insurer was actually visiting with a family member inside the home as the home was destroyed. And that life was lost,” said Leslie Gamble, Public Affairs Manager for AAA Oklahoma.

Through the devastation, Oklahoma City staff are making a difference.

“In one case, they were able to actually reunite and help one fire victim locate another within their family, who they had been looking for that they had not been able to find,” said Gamble. “Both had contacted AAA to just talk about what they should be doing.”

Gamble says AAA is also reaching out to members living nearby the wildfire to ensure their safety.

Grief counselors and massage therapists are available for claim agents to help cope with the grief.

“I think our agents feel that they are a source of hope,” said Gamble. “A source of encouragement and something that hasn't changed in the middle of everything else changing.”

A group of 5 to 10 AAA employees from Oklahoma are currently on the ground in California. The group will be on the ground for the foreseeable future.

","published":"2018-11-28T00:12:40.000Z","updated":"2018-11-28T00:19:34.000Z","summary":"Hundreds of calls are flooding the AAA Oklahoma City office as victims of the California “Camp Fire” file claims. Over 2,000 AAA homeowners have filed claims for destroyed homes, and more than 1,000 have filed claims for destroyed vehicles. Fi","affiliate":{"_id":"5cc353fe1c9d440000d3b70f","callSign":"kwtv","origin":"https://www.news9.com"},"contentClass":"news","createdAt":"2020-01-31T19:43:56.378Z","updatedAt":"2022-03-30T21:08:03.709Z","__v":2,"show":true,"link":"/story/5e34837c527dcf49dad77139/aaa-oklahoma-employees-helping-california-wildfire-victims","hasSchedule":false,"id":"5e34837c527dcf49dad77139"};
logo

Get The Daily Update!

Be among the first to get breaking news, weather, and general news updates from News 9 delivered right to your inbox!

More Like This

November 27th, 2018

March 22nd, 2024

March 14th, 2024

February 9th, 2024

Top Headlines

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024

March 28th, 2024