handful of wildfires spreading across Los Angeles County and prompting the evacuations of nearly 200,000 people are pushing celebrities—many of whom have lost homes or been forced to evacuate themselves—to donate supplies and money to relief efforts that have barely begun as the blazes rage on.
Key facts
- Jared Isaacman, the billionaire businessman tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next administrator of NASA, has said he will match the first $1 million donated to his company’s relief campaign.
- Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg, the third richest person in the world, said he and his wife Priscilla are personally donating to relief efforts and billionaire KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky said his charity, Frontline Impact Project, is “working to bring not just supplies, but a sense of hope and care to those affected.”
- Jamie Lee Curtis, who feared she’d lost her own Santa Monica home before confirming the structure was safe, has pledged to donate $1 million to wildfire relief with her husband, actor and director Christopher Guest.
- Curtis, an American Red Cross ambassador, also appeared on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Wednesday night, where she encouraged viewers to “do anything you can” to help people: “Give blood, donate, whatever you can do, animal shelters,” she said.
- Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have reportedly made monetary donations to relief efforts; donated clothing, children’s items and other supplies, and have directed people to support organizations including the World Central Kitchen, CAL FIRE, LA Fire Department Foundation, Animal Wellness Foundation, Compton Cowboys and Baby2baby.
- Kylie Jenner, the youngest member of the Kardashian-Jenner family, posted that she was making an unspecified donation to the California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief Fund, an extension of the California Fire Foundation.
- The Los Angeles Chargers NFL team announced it would donate $200,000 to help those affected by the fires. Actresses Halle Berry and Sharon Stone have expressed support for a local boutique and home goods store, called +COOP, which has turned into a pop-up shop for those in need of clothing after losing their homes in the fire (Berry posted she was “packing up my entire closet” to help displaced families).
- Former “Real Housewives of New York City” star Bethenny Frankel said her charity, BStrong, has partnered with the Global Empowerment Mission to send aid to those affected.
Big number
$2.5 million. That’s how much has been raised from 4,000 donors for the California Community Foundations Wildlife Recovery Fund, Los Angeles officials said Friday.
Key background
There are five major fires burning in the vicinity of Los Angeles, including the Palisades Fire, which has burned nearly 20,000 acres, and the Eaton Fire, which has burned almost 14,000. The Eaton fire was still 0% contained as of Friday morning, and the Palisades fire was 6% contained. Other fires that have burned hundreds of acres include the Lidia Fire near the Angeles National Forest, Hurst Fire near San Fernando and Kenneth Fire just outside of Calabasas. Fires started burning in Los Angeles County Wednesday and little is known about how they began. One fire, the Kenneth fire, could have been started by a suspected arsonist who was arrested on Thursday after neighbors spotted him with a “propane tank or flamethrower” while “trying to light something on fire.” At least 10 people have died since the fires began. The most impacted area so far, the Pacific Palisades, is home to scores of celebrities and local landmarks. The average home price in the area is $3 million, and those including actor Adam Brody and his wife actress Leighton Meester; Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick; Paris Hilton; Billy Crystal; Tina Knowles; and reality TV stars Heidi Montag and Spencer Pratt have all said they lost their homes in the fires.
Tangent
The Los Angeles wildfires are on track to be among the costliest in U.S. history about 18 months after a devastating wildfire in Hawaii became the deadliest blaze ever recorded in America. After the Maui fires, donations from billionaires and celebrities poured in, including $100 million from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his partner Lauren Sánchez and $10 million from billionaire Oprah Winfrey and actor Dwayne Johnson.
