As she helped relocate horses, pigs, cats, dogs and birds from a friend's Corbett-area farm Monday night, Pixie Adams was inspired to do more.

"I am very passionate about being able to volunteer," Adams said.

So about 11 p.m. Monday, Adams put the finishing touches on a post that appeared Tuesday morning on the Facebook page of her new Moonlight Coffeehouse shop in Milwaukie.

"How Can I Help?" the post says, with a description of efforts to raise money to buy a variety of items for people displaced from their homes by the Eagle Creek fire as well as firefighters and other first responders.

The red and blue dots indicate hot spots detected by satellites. The dark red area is the Eagle Creek fire first reported Saturday. The pink area is the Indian Creek fire that's burned since July 4. Sources: U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Bureau of Land Management, NASA

"This logistically seemed to be the only way I could help," Adams said as she was sorting through the details of how to transfer donated funds to intended recipients. Her coffee shop isn't officially open yet, but will be in a few weeks.

Her goodwill gesture was one of several that popped up on social media and elsewhere of strangers who wanted to help strangers.

A pastor of a downtown church sought information on donating money to a shelter for displaced people. Meowhaus feline boarding and day spa, 5244 N.E. Sandy Blvd., has offered 10 open rooms through the end of September to cats whose owners have been displaced by the fire. The operators of Southeast Portland warehouse designed as creative space sought to convert it quickly to an evacuee center.

Gone Towing, based at 1530 N.E 82nd Ave., offered to move cars and animals in Level 2 and Level 3 evacuation areas. "This is the right circumstances to help people out," owner Michael Akers said.

U-Haul of Portland offered 30 days of free storage to Eagle Creek evacuees, KATU reported.

Wigglin Home Boxer Rescue, based in Battle Ground, Washington, offered the homes of its member in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, said president DeAnn King. "We offer our homes for (displaced) pets to get food, water, love, baths, vet care of needed," King said in an email.

The Red Cross, meanwhile, encouraged people to give money directly to the disaster relief organization.

"The best way for folks to help is by making a donation to 'disaster relief' at redcross.org," said Monique Dugaw, regional director of communications for the American Red Cross-Cascades Region.

The Red Cross is operating relief shelters at Mount Hood Community College, 26000 S.E. Stark St., in Gresham, and at Hedgewald Center, 710 S.W. Rock Creek Dr., in Stevenson, Washington.

The Eagle Creek fires are causing damage to more than just our beautiful forests near Portland. We have family working... Posted by Moonlight Coffeehouse on Monday, September 4, 2017

Sorry for the misinformation, the wrong phone number was put out initially. People who are looking for ways to volunteer or donate locally can call 541-387-6911. Posted by Hood River County Sheriff's Office on Tuesday, September 5, 2017

We are planning to open the venue to take in evacuees from the Gorge fire. Who can help us make this happen? @Oregonian @RedCross — UNION/PINE (@unionpine) September 5, 2017

"We have a ton of people who want to help and we truly appreciate that," Dugaw said.

But she discouraged offers of donated items.

"When donations of used goods or other goods are dropped off they can do more harm than good," she said. "It takes volunteer efforts to sort through those items, which takes away from volunteer efforts to immediately help."

Donations enable the Red Cross to "go out and purchase especially what is needed for that relief operation."

The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office issued a statement Tuesday encouraging people who want to help immediately to donate money to the Red Cross.

Longer term, "We are working to assess the needs of the community," the statement says. "We will release specific information as to how community members can assist and actions you can take as they become available."

The statement also says people should not "deliver any supplies to the sheriff's office, or any other first responder staging location at this time."

The Hood River County Sheriff's Office posted a phone number for people to call if they wanted to help: 541-387-6911.

Friends of the Columbia Gorge urged people to donate to Hood River County Search & Rescue. The fund-raising effort started after the volunteer group helped guide 140 hikers out of Eagle Creek, but donations are still appropriate, said Kevin Gorman, executive director of Friends of the Columbia River Gorge.

"I know people want to volunteer now," Gorman said, "but we're really trying to discourage people from going out to the gorge. ... Right now what's going on with volunteering is on a high-skill level."

Eventually, the rains will arrive and the fires will be extinguished, Gorman said.

"What I'm really hoping is that the concerns and interest in doing something is around then," he said.

--Allan Brettman

503-294-5900

@allanbrettman