BENTON CITY -- American Red Cross officials want to help fire victims of last summer's Hanford fire, but they're asking the Benton City area residents to meet them halfway.

Many fire victims have been frustrated with the agency's lengthy and complicated application process for determining who gets the money donated to a fund exclusively for Hanford fire victims.

Eleven homes were destroyed by the wildfire that scorched 164,000 acres in June.

About 29 people, including several volunteer board members of the Benton-Franklin Red Cross chapter, attended Thursday's two-hour meeting at the Benton City Community Center to discuss the misconceptions about the donations and the process for getting the relief dollars.

The residents at the meeting couldn't understand why $74,000 donated to help them still is sitting in the bank.

"I say give the money to take care of the victims from this fire first, then give it to other organizations. We're the victims first. It's our turn to get something back," said Henry Mears of Benton City.

"We started off on the wrong foot, and we're trying to catch up," said Kurt Johnson, a Red Cross board member.

The Tri-City-based agency is good at emergency assistance but doesn't have a lot of experience with providing additional assistance, said Greg Jones, Red Cross board chairman.

Five Benton City area families are receiving assistance from the Red Cross and could use up all the money intended for the Hanford fire victims, Jones said.

But if others qualify for the money, the Benton-Franklin chapter will receive additional money from the national Red Cross office, Jones said.

Katy Storm of Benton City said a lot of people have gotten annoyed with the process and given up on Red Cross help.

"One by one, they'll go by the way side, and you'll get the money," Storm said.

Others, like Bob Bowen, just want to know specifically what the process is.

"Provide us with the guidelines for distributing the money so we know," Bowen said.

The board members didn't have the guidelines with them and said they were based on a case-by-case basis.

"It requires filling out a fair number of forms," Jones said.

Ole Leonard said he spent the time filling out the paperwork and although the system was frustrating, he got what he needed -- a well and electricity.

"People are truly frustrated with the bureaucratic process with no light at the end of the tunnel," said Bud Evans of Benton City, who moderated the meeting.

But Dennis Rhodes, a Red Cross board member, pointed to Leonard's experience.

"He worked through the process, and he does have a light at the end of the tunnel and he is getting help. People who have been working through the process are getting success. But you have to sit down with someone and go through the paperwork," Rhodes said.

Board members encouraged fire victims to go back to the Red Cross again, even if they were told before they didn't qualify for aid.

Dawn Flavin arrived from the American Red Cross' national office last week to help the Benton-Franklin chapter get help to the fire victims.

Irene Peck, whose mobile home was destroyed, asked if there was a way to bypass the system so people could get money for basic services such as electricity and water.

"I wish the Red Cross would set up criteria to moderate special funds because this isn't working," Peck said.

But there's not much the local board can do except pass the message along to regional and then national headquarters, Jones said.