On January 7th, a bushfire broke out in the Pacific Palisades of California. Although the first fire had spread to over 20,000 acres, it was said to be mostly contained according to Cal Fire, but that was just the start of disaster. In the area of downtown Los Angeles, near the national park territory, the Eaton Fire had spread to around 14,000 acres. In just a short span of days, countless lives were lost and over 15,00 structures were damaged. In Northern Los Angeles, the Hughes fire started and rapidly spread to over 10,000 acres. While so many of the California firefighters were attempting to contain these three fires, various smaller fires began in the main areas of Los Angeles. The generation of new fires and the spread of existing ones seems never ending. As of January 25th, there had been 28 deaths as a result of the fires and it is predicted that the number will unfortunately only go up. Although not many thorough investigations have been completed due to the urgency of the fires, it is believed that 17+ of the deaths were caused by the Eaton fire alone. Across the news and various social media platforms, many residents of Los Angeles have shared devastating stories and footage of their homes being burned to the ground, all of their belongings gone, pets nowhere to be seen; and the family and friends of the 28 victims, grieving their lost loved ones. Not only does this event bring mass devastation to the state of California, but it also raises questions about the connection between destructive fires and climate change, as well as the role of government and funding in times of natural disasters.
As many residents of California have lost close to everything in their homes burned down by the fires, they can use all the help they can get. There are various ways to help out, even virtually from Massachusetts. There have already been various Go-Fund-Me’s, Amazon wish lists, and more fundraisers set up by residents themselves, and national organizations. Here are a few resources on how to help the residents of California and the amazing firefighters working non-stop to prevent fires:
