Here's how you can help California wildfire victims

Katie Mather
·Reporter
·7-min read
The Eaton Fire burns a structure in Altadena, Calif.
The Eaton Fire burns in Altadena, Calif., on Jan. 8. (Ethan Swope/AP)

As multiple wildfires continue to burn throughout the Los Angeles area, hundreds of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate their homes — many of them unsure if there will be a home for them to return to.

As of Jan. 14, at least 24 people have been killed and over 12,000 structures have been destroyed by the flames. Multiple states have sent hundreds of firefighters to join those in California who have spent days trying to control the fires.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said Sunday that the area is bracing for strong winds and low humidity that will keep the fire threat in Los Angeles County “very high.”

Los Angeles Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley advised residents to stay informed. “Follow all evacuation warnings and orders — and the key here is without delay,” Crowley said Sunday.

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If you are following the news from afar and would like to help, here’s a list of organizations accepting donations on behalf of affected communities. Each of the groups listed below has been verified by at least one of the charity research resources provided by the California Department of Justice.

The American Red Cross is working to provide shelter, food and mental health services. You can donate money online, or by calling (800) 733-2767 or texting “REDCROSS” to 90999. If you’re interested in volunteering with the organization, you can register online after the completion of a training session.

For residents with pets or who are responsible for farm animals, the Animal Wellness Foundation is raising money to help house and feed the pets that had to be left behind by owners who had to evacuate and couldn’t bring the animals with them. The organization is using an old veterinary hospital in Marina Del Rey to help keep the pets safe. You can donate to its fundraising efforts here. If you or someone you know are evacuating and can’t bring a pet, you can also find shelters that are still available for large or small animals here.

Baby2Baby announced on X that it is providing essentials like diapers, food, formula and hygiene products for any children and families who have lost their homes to the fires. To further help Baby2Baby, you can donate to its Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Program online.

The California Community Foundation has a Wildfire Recovery Fund that addresses the long-term impact of wildfires, such as helping rebuild homes, providing mental health support and financial aid, and strengthening infrastructure to improve emergency response systems. You can donate to the fund online or by mailing a check to 717 W. Temple St., Los Angeles, CA, 90012.

The California Fire Foundation is supporting some of the thousands of firefighters and emergency personnel fighting the fires right now. You can donate to the group online.

CityServe is a network of churches and leaders that aims to address community challenges. In this case, the group has sent out truckloads of relief supplies to local churches, shelters and fire stations in the L.A. area. CityServe welcomes more volunteers and donations on its website.

CORE has an emergency response team supplying hygiene kits, masks and protective gear to anyone who experiencing poor air quality because of the wildfires. You can donate to them here.

Direct Relief is working with two Koreatown YMCA locations to help hand out free protective masks to any residents who may be negatively affected by the smoke. The Koreatown YMCA centers are not accepting any online donations but are accepting physical donations — unopened food, clothing, blankets, emergency supplies — in person. Direct Relief set up a fund online that helps anyone affected by the wildfires and needs critical aid.

Multiple individuals have set up GoFundMe pages for financial help in the wake of the wildfires and GoFundMe has organized a centralized online hub of all the verified fundraising pages. GoFundMe recommends people go through the verified accounts and choose who and how many accounts they want to help directly. GoFundMe also set up its own Wildfire Relief Fund, which has a goal of raising $300,000 that the organization aims to give to anyone affected by the fires. (GoFundMe’s 2024 Wildfire Relief Fund was issued to over 150 people and families dealing with wildfires in California, New Mexico, Texas and Colorado.)

This global nonprofit has a disaster response team that's been working on the ground in the L.A. area providing survival supplies such as meals, blankets and pet food to communities affected by the fires. You can donate to help Greater Good Charities online.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles helped rebuild more than 120 homes following the wildfires in 2018. While Habitat intends to do the same for any victims of the current wildfires, the group’s disaster response teams are currently supporting local recovery efforts until the fires are contained. You can donate to Habitat’s Disaster Response Fund here.

The foundation is seeking donations to help the Los Angeles Fire Department as members fight the wildfires, including providing them with emergency shelters and necessary tools like hydration backpacks and brush tools. You can donate here.

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is accepting donations of food at its two distribution centers. If you are not based in Los Angeles, you can donate money to the food bank online.

Pasadena Humane animal control officers have been helping with pet and animal evacuations, as well as working at shelters where left-behind pets are being kept after owners evacuated. The group announced it had taken in over 300 animals as of Wednesday afternoon. Pasadena Humane is accepting in-person donations for the pets and monetary donations online.

Project Hope is a global health and humanitarian organization that’s been on the ground in the Los Angeles area working with shelters and health workers for victims of the wildfires. By donating to Project Hope, you can help fund the group’s efforts to give urgent survival supplies to displaced Southern Californians.

The Southern California division of the Salvation Army is working to provide free food, necessities and shelter to any evacuees and first responders. You can donate specifically to the Southern California Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Fund online.

Save the Children is working to make sure kid-focused supplies are being handed out to families impacted by the wildfires, supplies that include hygiene kits, survival kits — which contain flashlights, bottled water and blankets — and children’s activity kits to keep them busy during this stressful time. You can help by contributing to the Children’s Emergency Fund here.

World Central Kitchen’s Relief Team is in Southern California to help distribute food and meals to anyone who needs them. You can donate to help WCK cook and provide nourishing meals online.

The United Way said it is focusing on longer-term recovery efforts to support people affected by the wildfires in Los Angeles. You can support its efforts by donating here.

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