The scenes coming out of Los Angeles are horrifying and heartbreaking.
Over the past few days, five wildfires — including the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires — have been tearing through the greater Los Angeles area, destroying homes, schools, businesses, and entire communities.
At this point, at least ten lives have been lost, almost 180,000 people have been ordered to evacuate, hundreds of thousands have lost power, and about 10,000 structures have been burned down.
Wildfires like this are becoming all too common in California and other parts of the country as a result of worsening climate change. Thanks to more extreme weather and environmental conditions, wildfires are now a year-round reality in our state.
If you’re an Angeleno reading this, I hope that you and your loved ones are safe from these dangerous fires. You can find up-to-date evacuation orders and emergency shelter information for people and animals here.
For everyone else, let’s lend a helping hand to those affected by this devastating natural disaster: please make a charitable donation to the California Fire Foundation to support the firefighting efforts and provide relief to wildfire victims today.
I want to extend a massive thank-you to California’s firefighters, first responders, and law enforcement who are courageously working to end this catastrophe and protect the Golden State.
Know that as your Attorney General, I’m working on addressing this issue from multiple angles: supporting bold action on climate change, holding businesses and landlords accountable for unlawfully raising the price of essential supplies, hotels, and rental housing for individuals facing these natural disasters, and urging FEMA to update its regulations to recognize extreme heat and wildfire smoke events as eligible for major disaster declarations so that states like ours can effectively respond with resources and support.
Thank you for anything you can give to help our fellow Californians rebuild from this tragedy.
Stay safe,
Rob
