The 2007 southern California wildfires resulted in over 500,000 residents being displaced. A team from Johns Hopkins University and the American Red Cross surveyed 163 families at shelters and local assistance centers during the disaster. The responses were used to evaluate the needs and movement patterns of a displaced population. The data were also used to determine the risk factors associated with needing sheltering. There is a lower than expected reliance on public shelters, and displaced persons move frequently.