From Our Editor-in-Chief: How PEOPLE Is Supporting Victims of the L.A. Wildfires

In collaboration with 'Entertainment Weekly' and 'InStyle,' PEOPLE will support the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank thanks to a generous donation from our company, Dotdash Meredith

PEOPLE's Jan. 27, 2025 issue; Charlotte Triggs, PEOPLE's new general manager and editor-in-chief
PEOPLE's Jan. 27, 2025 issue; Charlotte Triggs, PEOPLE's new general manager and editor-in-chief

Hi, everybody. I am Charlotte Triggs, and I am PEOPLE's new editor in chief and general manager. I am not exactly new around here: I have been at PEOPLE for 20 years, in fact. I was an intern, a beat reporter and a cover-story writer (I still write them from time to time; my last one was with Hoda Kotb back in October!). I produced our podcast, directed our digital content and most recently helped guide the brand behind the scenes as senior vice president and general manager.

I love PEOPLE. I am honored to be taking on this role and am deeply grateful for Wendy Naugle’s leadership over the past few years. We will miss her and wish her the very best as she departs to write her novel.

In this week’s issue we are featuring a special report on the devastating fires in Los Angeles. The horror is truly unfathomable; at press time there were 24 people killed, 23 unaccounted for, 150,000 people forced to evacuate and countless homes that burned to ash as whipping winds carried embers across acres of land, polluting the air and paralyzing the city.

David Swanson / AFP/ Getty Firefighters respond to the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on Jan. 7, 2025

David Swanson / AFP/ Getty

Firefighters respond to the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, California, on Jan. 7, 2025

This has hit close to home at PEOPLE. Los Angeles is in many ways our backyard and the home of the entertainment industry we diligently cover. We are also used to covering natural disasters. This time, however, our 30-plus L.A. staffers are also living through the story as they report it.

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Senior writer Johnny Dodd, who was originally set to write this story, hosed down his roof in Encino in the middle of the night while his wife fled with their pets until firefighters were able to contain the Palisades fire before it reached the top of his street.

South of the Palisades fire, Andrea Mandell, our senior movies editor, quickly packed her toddler’s necessities before leaving the Santa Monica home she had just moved into, concerned about the effects of the heavy smoke.

I am blown away by our team’s dedication to serving our readers — and helping the community that they cover. That’s why PEOPLE and its sister brands Entertainment Weekly and InStyle will be supporting the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank — which is doing critical work feeding L.A. residents, including those displaced by the wildfires — thanks to a generous donation from our company, Dotdash Meredith.

Ethan Swope/AP Megan Mantia (left) and her boyfriend Thomas return to her fire-damaged home after the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, California

Ethan Swope/AP

Megan Mantia (left) and her boyfriend Thomas return to her fire-damaged home after the Eaton Fire on Jan. 8, 2025, in Altadena, California

There is a long road ahead, but PEOPLE will be here every step of the way to inform and support.

Thinking of you all . . . be safe.

Click here to learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.

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