More Angelenos Lose Homes to Fire as Tragedy Inspires Acts of Kindness

There isn’t much good news coming out of Los Angeles this morning. Our co-owner Seth, who was evacuated from his home and is now staying with a friend, shared that when he had dinner with friends last night, the conversation started with a list of people they knew who had lost their homes. I keep checking for updates, but the news is consistently along the lines of, “Firefighters managed to contain one fire, but another has broken out, and the Santa Ana winds will continue through Friday before returning early next week.”

More celebrities have continued to lose their homes, including Tina Knowles, Daniella Pineda, Mel Gibson (who, oddly enough, seemed indifferent about it), and Jeff Bridges. The fires near Kim Kardashian’s area appear to have been contained. Unfortunately, Milo Ventimiglia lost his home in a tragic parallel to his character on This Is Us.

The Times is providing strong on-the-ground coverage, but it’s maddening that they’re also reporting on the litany of Republican misinformation. Who cares that Republicans are blaming DEI initiatives for the fires? Are DEI initiatives actually responsible? No! Then it’s not worth reporting. The same goes for misinformation about budget cuts, suggestions that homeless people started the fires, or ridiculous claims that P. Diddy’s team set fires to destroy evidence.

That said, it’s worth mentioning that there are good people stepping up. GoFundMe campaigns are being created and quickly meeting their goals to support those who’ve lost their homes. Jamie Lee Curtis donated $1 million to relief efforts, and my favorite Instagram influencer, the Don’t Fuck It Up Chef, made 300 sandwiches and delivered them to firefighters.

Director Kevin Smith also shared a heartfelt story on Instagram about how firefighters saved his house and neighborhood.

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A post shared by Kevin Smith (@thatkevinsmith)

And as Seth Meyers notes here, no firefighter should ever have to pay for a beer or a matcha smoothie ever again.

If you’d like to donate to those in need — and it’s crazy heartwarming to see how many of these people are being funded — there is a portal of verified fundraisers for communities affected by the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Lidia, Woodley, and Sunset fires.