High winds have brought unprecedented fires to the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon area. Fueled by winds reaching up to 80 mph, the wildfires have covered over 40,000 acres of land in the greater Los Angeles area, destroying close to 15,000 structures in its rampage and causing damages upwards of $150 billion.
As to how the fires spread so quickly, many speculate that LA city government’s failure to hold control burns of fire-susceptible brush may have played a role as well as the emerging climate crisis, which has raised the risk of fast-moving wildfires by 25%. This abundance of flammable material, coupled with the dry conditions that have resulted from SoCal’s recent droughts, exponentially increased the effect of the Santa Ana winds, which created gusts of dry, warm air in the direction of the Pacific Ocean, creating conditions that the National Weather Service deemed “about as bad as it gets in terms of fire weather”. In addition, the lack of urban water systems built to counteract such fires caused many fire hydrants in the Palisades to lack water when they were most needed, furthering the destruction that ravaged across the country. While the initial cause for the fires is still unknown and under investigation, signs are pointing to the idea that this was a naturally caused fire, but there are some who speculate that arson and broken down power lines may have played a role.
So far, the fires have claimed at least 24 lives, but damages have fortunately subsided for the foreseeable future. A big reason for this is due to the valiant efforts of our firefighters, many of whom arrived from Northern California or even Canada, who have been working tirelessly to contain the fires in the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon Area.
One final message: Stay safe and attached below are a set of resources for anyone interested in volunteering to help. Evacuation orders were, and still are, in effect for around 92,000 LA residents.
Transportation to Shelters
- Uber and Lyft are offering free rides to designated shelters through January 15, 2025.
- Lyft: Use code CAFIRERELIEF25
- Uber: Use code WILDFIRE25 (up to $40 value)
- Big Blue Bus is offering free rides on the hour from Lincoln Blvd. and Montana Ave.
- If you need to evacuate and don’t have transportation, call:
- 911 if you are under evacuation order
- 211 if you are not under evacuation order
Evacuation Shelters (LA County)
- 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 Convention Center, 300 East Green St. Pasadena, CA 91101
Text “SHELTER” to 43362 and enter your zip code for more information.
Animal Shelters (LA County)
Small Animals:
- El Camino High School, 5440 Valley Circle Blvd. Woodland Hills
- Agoura Animal Care Center, 29525 Agoura Rd. Agoura Hills
- Baldwin Park Animal Care Center, 4275 Elton St. Baldwin Park
- Carson Animal Care Center, 216 W Victoria St. Gardena
- Castaic Animal Care Center, 31044 Charlie Canyon, Castaic
- Downey Animal Care Center, 11258 Garfield Ave. Downey
- Lancaster Animal Care Center, 5210 W Ave. I, Lancaster
- Palmdale Animal Care Center, 38550 Sierra Hwy, Palmdale
Large Animals:
- Los Angeles Equestrian Center, 480 Riverside Dr. Burbank, CA 91506
- County of Los Angeles Large Animal Shelter, Pierce College Equestrian Center, 6201 Winnetka Ave. Woodland Hills, CA 91367
- Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W McKinley Ave. Pomona
- Industry Hills Expo, 16200 Temple Ave. City of Industry
Temporary Housing (Airbnb.org)
Airbnb is partnering with 211 LA to provide free temporary housing for people displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires Click here to learn more and apply.
Eligibility criteria:
- You had to leave your home because of the recent fires in the Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Santa Monica and Sylmar areas
- Your home is an evacuation zone
- You are 18 or older
Temporary Housing (Maravilla Foundation)
Free emergency housing may be available in East Los Angeles, Lancaster, and Panorama City. Call (323) 869-4600 for more information.
