Celebrities are chipping in to help the region that’s helped them grow to prominence – southern California – as wildfires continue to sweep across the state.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Los Angeles-area fires had killed at least 25 people, displaced thousands of others and destroyed more than 12,000 structures. Two of the largest blazes, the Palisades and Eaton fires, had charred almost 40,000 acres (16,187 hectares) combined and were still only partially contained.
Since the fires started early last week, stars from Beyoncé, Eva Longoria and Jamie Lee Curtis to Halle Berry, Meghan and Prince Harry, among others, have come together to support frontline workers and families affected by the fires. Celebrities, athletes and company executives are making generous monetary donations and volunteering their time at relief centers.
Different ways to help fire victims in California are not at a premium. In Los Angeles, hundreds of GoFundMe campaigns are raising money to help families get back on their feet after losing their homes.
Beyoncé has donated $2.5m to the newly launched LA Fire Relief Fund, set forth by her charitable foundation, BeyGood.
“The fund is earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their homes, and to churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires,” reads an Instagram post.
Last week, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, posted on the social media platform that her Malibu bungalow had been destroyed in the fires.
“It was my favorite place, my sanctuary, my sacred Happy Place. Now it is gone!!” she wrote. “God Bless all the brave men and women in our fire department who risked their lives in dangerous conditions.”
Longoria announced a $50,000 donation to This Is About Humanity to support frontline workers and affected families. “It’s been a crazy week,” she said in an Instagram video, calling the fires “devastating for so many people” who have lost cherished memories and hard-earned belongings.
She said her family had evacuated their home after warnings and repeated alarms but are now hosting friends displaced from other areas.
On Friday, Meghan and Harry appeared at an evacuation center and food bank in Pasadena, where they served food and spoke with locals, as well as emergency workers who were on the ground. The same day, Jennifer Garner volunteered with World Central Kitchen and chef José Andrés to feed firefighters and evacuees at the Jack in the Box in Altadena.
Last week, the actor Jamie Lee Curtis, whose California neighborhood was among those devastated by the fires, said that her family would donate $1m to relief efforts. She made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where she fought back tears as she described the damage in Pacific Palisades.
“Where I live is on fire right now, literally the entire city of Pacific Palisades is on fire,” she said. “This is literally where I live – everything, the market I shop in, the schools my kids go to. Friends, many, many, many, many, many friends, now have lost their homes.”
Companies have also extended their help in the past week. Netflix and Comcast NBCUniversal each pledged $10m on Monday to support organizations helping victims of the Los Angeles-area wildfires.
Ted Sarandos, the Netflix co-CEO, announced the company’s donation would be divided among five recipients, including World Central Kitchen and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.
Brian L Roberts, the Comcast corporation chair and CEO, allocated $2.5m of Comcast’s commitment to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles’ ReBuild LA initiative. The remaining funds will go to other charitable foundations assisting victims.
Sports teams are also pitching in to help families and businesses in southern California. Twelve professional Los Angeles sports teams – Angel City FC, and the Angels, Chargers, Clippers, Dodgers, Ducks, Galaxy, Kings, LAFC, Lakers, Rams and Sparks – announced a donation of more than $8m to wildfire relief organizations including the American Red Cross, the California Fire Foundation and the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation.