The scale of destruction is difficult to comprehend. Wildfires fueled by a dry winter and 100 mph winds have scorched wide swaths of Los Angeles, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents. By some estimates, more than 10,000 buildings have already burned down and at least 10 people have died.
As the fires continued to spread Friday, it remained unclear if firefighters would be able to contain the blazes before high winds were expected to return Monday.
While past California wildfires have burned much larger areas of the state, this week’s blazes have consumed huge portions of L.A. County — the most populous county in the U.S. As a result, this could be the costliest wildfire in the history of the country, a UCLA climate scientist told LAist. JPMorgan financial analysts have already estimated more than $50 billion in total economic losses.
Whatever happens in the next few days, it’s clear that Southern California is going to need all the help it can get. We’ve put together a list of ways you can pitch in, including lots of options for volunteering, and where to donate money, food, and supplies.
How to Help Emergency Responders
- Consider donating to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation. This official nonprofit partner of the city’s fire department is requesting donations to buy more emergency fire shelters, hydration backpacks, and wildland brush tools.
- The California Fire Foundation (CFF) provides support to surviving families of fallen firefighters, current firefighters, and the communities they serve. CFF is currently asking for donations on its website.
- Want to do something more direct than making a donation? You could join LAIT911’s disaster response and recovery team, which is looking for help with collecting donations and assisting with delivery.
- The Salvation Army is working with government agencies and nonprofit organizations to provide food, personal necessities, and shelter to victims and first responders, including firefighters, police officers, and sheriffs’ deputies.
How to Help Residents
- The American Red Cross provides shelter, food, relief supplies, and medical care. Read about the nonprofit’s efforts in L.A., and consider making a donation to help local residents find shelter.
- A donation to the California Fire Foundation Wildfire and Disaster Relief Fund directly supports victims of wildfires and disasters throughout California, including the L.A. County area.
- World Central Kitchen is handing out sandwiches, fruit, and water to “all areas of immediate need.” Several of its partner chefs are “on standby, ready to provide comforting meals.”
- GoFundMe has verified and consolidated dozens of fundraisers that victims have started in recent days.
- Los Angeles-based International Medical Corps is working with local organizations to deliver relief supplies, including hygiene and first-aid kits.
How to Help Animals
- The Pasadena Humane Society is seeking monetary donations. The organization is trying to feed and care for more than 300 pets it has taken in since the Eaton Fire broke out. It is also accepting donations of food and water bowls, extra large crates, and blankets.
- Many pet owners were forced to leave their animals behind as they fled the fires. As a result, the Animal Wellness Foundation is using its old vet hospital to shelter lost or abandoned animals. It is asking for donations so it can house and feed them.
- Best Friends Animal Society, a Utah-based animal shelter, said Wednesday that one of the L.A. fires was “dangerously close” to the organization’s adoption center in the city. It’s asking Los Angeles-area residents to serve as temporary foster families and to buy adoption center items from its Amazon wish list.
How to Support the Outdoors
- Through its Wildfires initiative, the California State Parks Foundation supports land managers and state parks in preparing for wildfires. In the long term, it hopes to make the area more resilient to the wildfires that have become increasingly common. The group offers several options for volunteering and donations.
- Bike Oven, a community-run organization, is hosting a supplies drive for those affected by the Eaton fire, and asking local volunteers to help distribute them to displaced residents in need.
- Escalemos launched a GoFundMe to help Southern California climbers who lost their homes and gear.
- Lagartijas Climbing Crú is also accepting donations for climbers who have lost their homes and equipment.
