By now, I’m sure you’ve heard the heartbreaking news that Los Angeles, California is fighting the worst wildfires in the state’s history. The magnitude of the devastation is unfathomable. Most of Pacific Palisades is now a barren wasteland. Even if your house is still standing, there is nothing to go back to.
I lived on the border of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, and like so many, my family lost our home and all our belongings.
As of today, the wildfires have ravaged over 37,900 acres, over 12,000 structures have been destroyed, 11 people have died, pets are dead and missing, and the raging fires are far from contained.
This is an unprecedented, apocalyptic disaster and it is far from over. There is no playbook for how to get through this, but we will get through this – together.
If you’re a victim of the LA fires I’m sharing victim resources at the bottom of this article. If you want to help LA fire victims, this article lists different ways you can help.
Thank you for your love, prayers, and support. From ashes, WE will rise.
The Reality For Many Los Angeles Residents Right Now
There isn’t one person in Los Angeles who the LA wildfires haven’t directly or indirectly impacted. It’s hard to explain the scale of the complete devastation caused by the fires.
Los Angeles County declared a public health emergency, warning that smoke and particulate matter could pose immediate and long-term threats.
LA is unrecognizable. It looks like a war zone. And the fires are far from contained.
The Frightening Statistics
The Los Angeles wildfires have been burning since Tuesday, January 8, 2025. Thus far, the fires have burned more than 10,000 buildings, while a further 60,000 are at risk. Preliminary estimates suggest total damage could amount to as much as $150 billion.
At least 11 people have died so far, thousands have lost their homes, and over 180,000 people have been forced to evacuate. The total area of all the LA wildfire destruction currently covers around 38,000 acres.
What Areas Of Los Angeles Have Been Affected By The Wildfires?
Los Angeles has many active fires occurring that are ravaging the area simultaneously. The following areas are currently in a state of emergency:
- Palisades – The #PalisadesFire is the largest and was first to break out on Tuesday, January 7, 2025. At the time of writing, it had burnt through over 20,000 acres in the Pacific Palisades, destroying more than 5,300 structures.
- Malibu – Evacuation orders are in place for much of Malibu
- Eaton – Spanning nearly 14,000 acres in Altadena and Pasadena.
- Hurst – Spanning nearly 800 acres at the time of writing.
- Lidia – Nearly 400 acres are affected in the town of Acton.
- Kenneth – The newest of the five fires, impacting about 960 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
- Sunset – 43 acres in the Hollywood Hills
Although other areas of Los Angeles and its surrounding areas haven’t been directly affected by fire, they have been impacted by toxic levels of smoke and ash.
How Can I Help?
People worldwide have been lending their support to victims of the LA wildfires through clothing or product donations, opening their homes or stores, and donating money to those in need and those on the front line. Below is a roundup of registered non-profit and volunteer organizations accepting donations for those affected by the wildfires.
Supporting Los Angeles Residents Who Have Been Left Homeless
- American Red Cross
- Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
- World Central Kitchen
- Project Camp
- Boys and Girls Club Malibu
- +COOP – A store located at 7282 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90036 called +COOP has been turned into a hub offering clothing, toys and people who can provide support. They are taking donations of clothing, small electronics, backpacks, pet toys, and gift cards. They are also looking for people to volunteer their time to help sort donations. The store is open between 10am and 6pm.
- Housing – The wildfires have already deepened the housing shortage in Los Angeles. If you have a home you can open up to fire victims that is an amazing way to help. Many people are now without proper housing.
Supporting Those On The Front Line – Los Angeles Firefighting Services
The donations raised from the foundations below will be used to support firefighters and their families, as well as tools, backpacks, and fire shelters to help the firefighters on the ground.
Resources For Los Angeles Fire Victims
For Los Angeles residents who have been directly affected by the fires, many companies are offering support and help. If you are a victim of the Los Angeles fire, here is a list of resources.
- Sign Up For Alert LA County Emergencies: LACounty.Gov/Emergency
- Airbnb is working with 211A to connect people to free temporary housing options
- FEMA – In response to the unprecedented fires that have devasted communities in multiple parts of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, President Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration. This opens up FEMA and Small Business Administration assistance to individuals and businesses impacted by the fires. This includes critical needs for evacuating and temporary lodging, direct grants for damage to homes and medical costs, as well as Business Physical Disaster Loans, Economic Injury Disaster Loans, and Home Disaster Loans. Visit the FEMA website or use the @fema_app
- CCS Realty – CCS Realty is prioritizing helping LA fire victims find homes. They have an extensive list of homes for lease and sale in Santa Barbara, Montecito, and Summerland. Call, text, or email Natalie: Cell (805) 610-4085 or Email: [email protected]
- The Agency – The Agency has an extensive list of current comes available for short and long term lease in the the Los Angeles area. Email [email protected].
- The Hotel Assn. of Los Angeles has complied a list of hotels in the Los Angeles area that have room available and are offering special rates for fire victims. The list, which is accessible from a Google spreadsheet, is continuously being updated and contains contact information and details on any fire-related special rate.
- The city of Anaheim has complied an online list of hotels within the city that are offering discounted rates for victims who have been displaced by the fire.
- 1 Hotel West Hollywood – For LA fire victims, 1 Hotel in West Hollywood is offering discounted rates and welcoming pets.
- Brands Providing Products To Families Affected By The LA Fires – Gifting Spreadsheet
- Planet Fitness is offering evacuees and first responders free access to their
facilities, including showers, locker rooms, and Wi-Fi. This is available until January
15, 2025. - Los Angeles County declared a public health emergency, warning that smoke and particulate matter could pose immediate and long-term threats. The full warning and list of recommendations can be found here.
- For Business & Property Owners – Low-interest loans through the Small Business Administration (SBA)
- The American Red Cross and Salvation Army are teaming up to serve free meals and distribute personal items at American Red Cross-operated evacuation shelters
- World Central Kitchen is distributing free hot meals at multiple locations
- L.A. Unified School District is operating 16 sites to provide meals for LAUSD students as of January 10, 2025
- The L.A. Regional Food Bank’s Pantry Locator has the latest information for free groceries and meals
- Mutual Aid LA (MALAN) has compiled a list of free meal services and sites
- Resource For Parents – You can use these resources to guide your child through processing a natural disaster experience.
- Apple Card is offering those affected the ability to skip payments and no interest.
- Uber: Use promo code WILDFIRE25 in the wallet section of your Uber app to redeem a free Uber ride up to $40.
- Lyft: Riders in need can use the code CAFIRERELIEF25, valid for 2 rides up to $25 each ($50 total) for 500 riders from now until 1/15 at 11:59 p.m.
- L.A. Metro: As of January 9, 2025, all fare collection has been temporarily suspended systemwide
- Road Closures – For a list of road closures in L.A. County, check out this map. For a list of road closures in San Bernardino County, check out this map.
- LA County Animal Care & Control – Find temporary shelter and care for animals displaced by wildfires.
- The following evacuation shelters are currently open as of January 9, 2025:
- Arcadia Community Center – 375 Campus Drive, Arcadia, CA 91007
- Ritchie Valens Recreation Center – 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Pacoima, CA 91331
- Pan Pacific Recreational Center – 7600 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036
- Westwood Recreation Center – 1350 Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025
- El Camino Real Charter High School – 5440 Valley Circle Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
- Pasadena Civic Center – 300 East Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101
- Pomona Fairplex – 1101 W McKinley Ave, Pomona, CA 91768
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What do I do if my home was destroyed?
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If you’re a homeowner and lost your home in the LA wildfires, start a claim with your home insurance company as soon as possible. You may be able to get some of your payout immediately or have your temporary housing paid for by the insurance company. Because the L.A. fires resulted in an official state of emergency, your insurance company may be required to immediately pay you for:
- At least one-third of the estimated value of your personal belongings
- At least four months’ worth of rent for the local area
A wildfire property claim may take several months or even years for your insurance provider to resolve. Here’s what to do to make the insurance process as smooth and efficient as possible:
- Start a recovery diary, and take detailed notes of every time you contact your insurance company, including who you talked to and what you discussed
- Keep records and receipts of any hotel bills and evacuation costs
- If possible, take photos and inventory, document the damage and what remains before cleanup or debris removal
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- What do I do if my rental home was destroyed?
- If you were renting a home that was destroyed in the LA wildfires your renter’s insurance may cover the cost of any lost belongings and temporary housing. Check with your insurance company to find out what kind of protection you have.
- Start a recovery diary, and take detailed notes of every time you contact your insurance company, including who you talked to and what you discussed.
- Keep records and receipts of any hotel bills and evacuation costs
- If possible, take photos and inventory, and document the damage and what remains before cleanup or debris removal.
If you know of additional resources that should be added to this list, please comment below so we can add them. Thank you!
Tips For LA Fire Victims From Personal Experience
This is from a friend whose parents’ house burned down in California in 2004. When their house burned down, this was their order of operations:
- Wait to find out what happened, wait for them to open up the neighborhood
- Go there immediately to try to recover anything that might be left before other looters get in. (Even with a total loss, we found some things in the rubble, like my parent’s wedding photos, some porcelain figurines, etc.
- Fence off the area immediately, especially if they have a pool because we were told we were liable if anyone got injured on our property
- Start claims with insurance asap (home, car, etc)
- Understand options and budget during the transition so you can rent a house ASAP if you want to do that (supply will get snapped up fast)
- Consider negotiating with insurance if you’re willing to walk away from your house. My dad did the math and showed the insurance co that if he chose to rebuild it could cost them 2X what our total loss figure was (because among other things, they would have to pay for housing for years while rebuilding), and got the insurance to write a check for 1.5X to walk away (and then my parents bought a new house)
My LA Wildfire Story
Like so many others, the nightmare of the LA fires is still unfolding for me and my family, but this is my story thus far. I will try to explain what happened on Tuesday as best I can. I’m honestly in complete shock and reality is just setting in that our life in LA is gone.
I lived in a condo on the border of Pacific Palisades and Malibu, where Sunset Blvd meets PCH. I just bought that condo last year and remodeled it. Every penny I have went into it, and I loved that place.
My daughter and her father had a house on the hillside directly behind mine, in the Marquez Knolls area of Pacific Palisades.
On Tuesday afternoon (1/8/2025), I watched the entire hillside ignite in flames above my condo where their house is.
Steve was at work in Santa Monica and our seven-year-old daughter, Sadie, was home sick at Steve’s house with her grandma Kathy. They didn’t have a car and the road up to their house from mine (Sunset Blvd) was closed so I knew I couldn’t reach them.
I ran to get my car keys, I was going to drive as far as I could, abandon my car, and run up the hillside to their house.
I know I might not have made it, but as a mom, you don’t care. You just have to try to save your child.
Luckily, right when I was leaving Steve finally got ahold of his mom and said Kathy and Sadie were walking out of the neighborhood and a friend would pick them up at Sadie’s school down the road. If we didn’t reach them, I was going up the canyon on foot.
There are no words to describe our gratitude to Lara and Jarad Fisher for picking Sadie and Kathy up and driving them to safety. The next day we got confirmation that Steve and Sadie’s home burned to the ground. Absolutely nothing is left. All our keepsakes were in that house. Everything is gone.
Lara and Jarad also lost their home in the alphabet streets in Pacific Palisades. Like thousands of others who are reeling from this unfathomable loss, everything they own is gone.
My high-rise condo complex is still standing as of today, but they will not let us on the property. We have no idea what the extent of the damage is, if the structural integrity of the buildings is intact, if any belongings survived, or if the complex will ever be livable again. Not knowing is eating me alive.
Even if it is deemed livable, the area is a barren wasteland at best. Much of Pacific Palisades burned and many of our friends lost their homes. My daughter’s school up the street burned to the ground.
I am not sure where we are going to move to, we just lost everything yesterday… Except we have the most important thing and all that matters – each other.
Please say prayers for everyone who is being affected by the #PalisadesFire and all the Los Angeles fires. And please offer support if you can. Please also say prayers for the brave firefighters who are risking their lives to fight this horrific fire and donate to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation if you are able.
This nightmare is far from over and the community needs everyone’s prayers, love, and support. There is no playbook for how to get through this… but we will get through this – together. From ashes, WE will rise.
Author
We Are Travel Girls Co-Founder Vanessa Rivers
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