Ongoing wildfires blazing through Los Angeles have scorched more than 30,000 acres, destroyed 10,000 homes and businesses, and placed at least 100,000 residents under evacuation orders.
The biggest of the blazes—a fire that lit up the Pacific Palisades, a coastal community sandwiched between Malibu and Santa Monica—sparked on the morning of Tuesday, 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 speeds as high as 100 mph have only fueled the flames and prevented aircraft mobility for firefighters, limiting crews to battling the fires on the ground. Known as the Santa Ana Winds, these annual gusts are extremely strong, hot, and dry, creating the perfect conditions for a fire disaster.
So far, the destruction from the simultaneous infernos 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 25 people are dead, the Associated Press reported. Multimillion-dollar homes have also not been spared by the flames, and plenty of celebrities—including Paris Hilton, Leighton Meester and Adam Brody, Billy Crystal, and Mark Hamill—have joined the hordes of evacuees in fleeing their neighborhoods. California has enlisted help from firefighters across the country and other parts of the world, including Mexico and Canada, to help battle the flames.
Community members across the city have created this spreadsheet with information on shelters, distribution hubs, and transportation, which will be continually updated. 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. It accepts 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. It is currently accepting donations that it will use to work with local fire agencies and other community-based organizations.
GoFundMe
GoFundMe has rounded up verified fundraisers related to the L.A. wildfires, including fundraisers for people who have lost their homes and belongings.
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.
Dream Center
This Los Angeles–based community organization is currently operating an evacuation center for those who had to flee their homes.
Visit the Website
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.
Altadena Girls
Local teen Avery kickstarted Altadena Girls as a way to make essential items—including clothing and beauty and haircare products—freely accessible to young girls who have lost everything due to the Eaton Fire.
Friends in Deed
Friends in Deed is a Pasadena-based nonprofit that provides support to homeless and at-risk community members. It is currently operating a shelter for those experiencing homelessness.
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.
National Domestic Workers Alliance
The National Domestic Workers Alliance advocates for the labor rights and protections of domestic workers—including nannies, housecleaners, and care workers—across the country. In response to the L.A. fires, the organization has set up a fundraiser to provide emergency financial assistance, medical care, and supplies to these essential workers.
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.
GiveDirectly
GiveDirectly is collecting donations to send cash straight to L.A. families on food stamps based on their zip code.
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.
Americares
Americares is a health-focused organization that responds to natural disasters and humanitarian crises. It is currently working on providing essential medicines, supplies, hygiene kits, and first aid to those affected by the L.A. fires.
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.
Project Hope
This nonprofit is currently on the ground responding to the L.A. wildfires. Its efforts are focused on supporting local shelters, health workers, and marginalized communities
Canine Rescue Club
The Canine Rescue Club is currently looking for those who are able to foster pets displaced by the wildfires.
Visit the Website
Best Friends Animal Society
This national animal welfare organization is operating two pet pantry locations intended on providing essential supplies—like pet food, cat litter, pet beds, and sanitary products—to those affected by the fires.
