How to Help Those Affected by the Los Angeles Wildfires
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Ongoing wildfires blazing through Los Angeles have scorched over 30,000 acres, destroyed over 10,000 homes and businesses, and created more than 100,000 thousand evacuees.
The biggest of the blazes—a fire that lit up the Pacific Palisades, a coastal community sandwiched between Malibu and Santa Monica—sparked on Tuesday morning, January 7, closely followed by the Eaton Fire near Altadena and Pasadena and the Hurst Fire near Sylmar. On Wednesday, several fires ignited elsewhere in L.A.: the Lidia Fire in Acton, the Woodley Fire near Van Nuys, the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills, and the Sunswept Fire in Studio City. On Thursday, another blaze, dubbed the Kenneth Fire, appeared in West Hills.
While the exact cause of the fires is not yet known, extreme winds that have seen upwards of 100 mph since Tuesday has only fueled the flames and prevented aircraft mobility for fire fighters, limiting crews to battling the fires on the ground. Known as the Santa Ana Winds, these annual gusts are extremely strong and dry, creating the perfect conditions for a fire disaster.
So far, the destruction from the fires has been harrowing, with the flames engulfing natural areas like Temescal Canyon and encroaching upon iconic cultural landmarks like Sunset Boulevard. Several people have been treated for burn injuries and at least 24 people are dead, the Associated Press reported. Multi-million dollar homes have also not been spared by the flames, and plenty of celebrities—including Mark Hamill, Eugene Levy, and Heidi Montag—have joined the hordes of evacuees in fleeing their affluent neighborhoods.
Community members across the city have created this spreadsheet with information on shelters, distribution hubs, and transportation, which will be continually updated, and many victims of the fire have started GoFundMe pages to ask for donations directly. If you’re looking for more ways to help those affected, we listed a few organizations below that are offering their support.
Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation
The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation supports over 3,000 local firefighters and paramedics. They accept donations to buy the proper equipment and tools for firefighters to effectively battle wildfires.
California Fire Foundation
The California Fire Foundation is a nonprofit that provides support to firefighters and loved ones of fallen firefighters. They are currently accepting donations, which they will use to work with local fire agencies and other community-based organizations.
American Red Cross
American Red Cross responds to fire disasters by providing support to first responders, ensuring shelter and food access to victims, delivering relief supplies, and offering medical care.
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Dream Center
This Los Angeles-based community organization is currently operating an evacuation center for those who had to flee their homes.
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Friends in Deed
Friends in Deed is a Pasadena-based nonprofit that provides support to homeless and at-risk community members. They are currently operating a shelter for those experiencing homelessness.
National Day Laborer Organizing Network
This organization works with day laborers, migrants, and low-wage workers to tackle issues related to inequality and civil rights. It is currently holding a fundraiser to support immigrant day laborers, undocumented workers, and mixed-status families who have been displaced by the fires and who may otherwise face uncertainty when seeking emergency services.
Anti-Recidivism Coalition
The Anti-Recidivism Coalition works towards the end of mass incarceration in California by providing services and a network to formerly and currently incarcerated people, as well as by advocating for just policies. It is currently accepting donations that will fund front-line incarcerated firefighters—who make up 30 percent of California’s wildfire force.
Ktown for All
Ktown for All is a volunteer-run community organization that supports and advocates for those experiencing homelessness in L.A.’s Koreatown. It is looking for volunteers and collecting donations in order to distribute masks, tarps, tents, and other equipment to the city’s homeless neighbors.
Baby2Baby
This nonprofit focuses on delivering essential items to children living in poverty across the country. Right now, it is directing it efforts to families who have lost their homes in the L.A. fires, providing critical supplies like diapers, formula, and hygiene products.
Save the Children
This international humanitarian organization has started a children’s emergency fund. Donations will go toward supplying affected families with essential items and assisting local partners focused on promoting children’s education, health, and mental wellness.
International Medical Corps
International Medical Corps is a first-responder organization that supports communities facing conflict, disaster, or disease. Right now, the organization is working to provide hygiene and first-aid kits to those affected by the fires.
Canine Rescue Club
The Canine Rescue Club is currently looking for those who are able to foster pets displaced by the wildfires.
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