A disaster like Pocatello’s Charlotte Fire resonates beyond the immediate community — possibly because we’ve all been there before.

Perhaps with renewed memories of events such as Boise’s 2008 Oregon Trail Fire, Treasure Valley residents might feel a responsibility to help another neighborhood in need.

Be careful. Just like the scam artists who try to con fire victims with fly-by-night repair schemes and bogus building inspections, some scammers prey on human generosity by setting up phony charities. Go to reputable outfits, such as the American Red Cross (which takes donations online or by mail at 146 S. Cole Road, Boise, 83709). Don’t donate over the phone.

Adversity brings out the best in many of us — but, in some, it brings out underhanded opportunism. Donate from the heart, but use your head.

“Our View” is the editorial position of the Idaho Statesman. It is an unsigned opinion expressing the consensus of the Statesman’s editorial board. To comment on an editorial or suggest a topic, email editorial@idahostatesman.com.