People show their best human qualities – courage and compassion – in the midst of the apocalyptic California wildfires
Amidst the devastation of the California wildfires, as thousands grapple with the loss of homes, the lives of loved ones, and pets, the Los Angeles community is coming together to find ways to help one another deal with unimaginable grief as entire communities are wiped from the map.
By now, hurricane-force Santa Ana winds have died down across the Greater Los Angeles area, helping firefighters bring almost 40,000 acres of ongoing wildfires under control.
The fires have killed at least 27 people and swept through residential communities, destroying more than 12,400 homes and businesses. Roughly 200,000 people have been forced to evacuate with just the clothes on their backs. Much of the greater Los Angeles area, including famous landmarks, has been left in ruins.
The causes of the fires remain unknown, but investigators are focusing on a specific scorched slope to discover the origins of the largest blaze, the Palisades Fire. The Palisades Fire is 27% contained, and the Eaton Fire is 55% contained.
Dangerous fire conditions are expected to return next week, the National Weather Service warned.
Feelings of despair and hopelessness prevail but there is also a vast amount of strength and a want to do something to help.
Firefighters show miracles of incredible courage and heroism in conditions of intense flames and heavy smoke.
Rescuers and volunteers have been doing a tremendous job evacuating distressed people and animals to safe places and helping all the needy.
Pizza Girl founder Caroline D’Amore is on a mission to feed those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. Her company started delivering pizzas to first responders the day the fires started in Los Angeles on Jan. 7, even after she got evacuated from her home due to the Palisades Fire. Caroline D’Amore (aka Pizza Girl) has been whipping up hundreds of pizzas to feed the firefighters and the residents there who haven’t left their homes yet. “There’s no power there and I know they haven’t eaten.” she said, sounding equal parts exhausted and determined. Pizza Girl will maintain free pizzas for those fighting and those fleeing the fires. “Evacuees need resources and we’re here for however long they need us.”
Donations go to much-needed ingredients, supplies, and gas for deliveries to firefighters on the front lines and evacuees at hotels and evacuation centers.
D’Amore was directly impacted by the fires and was evacuated from her Topanga Canyon home. She’s currently living with her husband and three children in a hotel room in Venice. When asked if she knew the status of her home, she said that her husband was able to get into the area to check. “He saw that the flames were not too far from our house. Our house is still standing because our neighbor has been hosing it down. We lost my dad’s house on Big Rock,” she added.
There was nothing but resilience in her voice. She quickly changed the focus from her situation to her work helping as many people as possible. Her mission will continue even after the fires are put out. D’Amore is in this for the long haul. “We are working with Hotel Ziggy to create healing centers where people can continue to come and get the things they need. These centers will be a place for peace, sound baths, and to get clothing and food. We plan to be open for the foreseeable future,” she said. D’Amore recalled one woman who was shaking and in tears when she gave her food and donated clothing for her and her children.
“We’re here for all of them for as long as they need us. We will support as many people as we can through this nightmare.” This is exactly what everyone who takes a heartfelt part in eliminating the consequences of this catastrophic disaster says.
As California’s massive wildfires burn, a barrage of GoFundMe campaigns for victims have become an outlet for onlookers transfixed by the blazes and eager to do something to help. Those appeals for help — plastered with photos of saffron flames or the charcoal aftermath or, most of all, the faces of the people at the center of the plea — are personalizing a tragedy too big to comprehend.
“I feel connected in a strange way to all these people that I don’t know,” says Rachel Davies, a 27-year-old writer in New York, who went through hundreds of GoFundMe’s wildfire campaigns and felt drawn in to stories of strangers, donating to fundraisers for landscapers, housekeepers and a cook. Davies was moved by the little details of victims’ stories — like the fact that someone lost their home just as they were bringing a baby home from the hospital — and compiled and circulated a list of GoFundMe sites, thinking others would feel the same and be spurred to donate. “Those stories,” Davies says, “will stick with me.”
There are many ways to help, whether it’s donating money or time or opening your home to people and animals in need.
Never underestimate the power of kindness. Even a little goes a long way.
By Gilbert Castro | ENC News
