In an article this week from the City News Service there are already scam artists taking care of the fires in Southern Califonia.  The best place to donate directly is the American Red Cross and Memo your donation:  So Cal Wildfires.  This will keep your donations to help those who are suffering in Southern California.  Remember it is important to help out as much as we can together.

Here is the article and at the bottom a link to verifiying if a charity organization is legitimate.

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 24, 2007 (CNS) - Fire officials Wednesday warned that "scam artists" falsely claiming to be raising money for fire departments may be trying to victimize unsuspecting Southern Californians.

"Firefighters do not solicit funds," said Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda. He urged anyone asked to make such a donation to notify law enforcement authorities.

"Whenever we have fires like these, scam artists come in right behind them," Ruda said.

To ensure that donations go to legitimate fund-raisers, residents should donate only to established charities that have the infrastructure and knowledge to handle donations, according to Charity Navigator, a New Jersey-based evaluator of charities.

Anyone who donates to a newly established group should get proof that the charity is a registered public charity.

Anyone who is solicited for money over the phone should ask the charity to send written information about the group, and avoid giving credit card information over the phone.

"They are preying on the sympathies of Californians and those people around the country who are seeing the stories about the fires," Ruda said.

He said one warning sign of a phony telephone solicitor is the offer to have someone "come over right away" and pick up a check.

"Some of these are boiler room operations," Ruda said.

More information about legitimate charities is available online.