Multiple wildfires sweep through Los Angeles

How to help and what you need to know

The most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history started Tuesday in coastal Pacific Palisades. The unprecedented spread of the Palisades Fire, along with the emergence of at least three other major fires, had burned more than 27,000 acres as of Thursday morning: the Eaton Fire in the Pasadena and Los Angeles National Forest areas; The Eaton Fire in the Los Angeles National Forest; the Sunset Fire in the Hollywood Hills; and the Hearst Fire in Sylmar.

Tens of thousands of Los Angeles residents were forced to evacuate their homes, and at least 1,000 buildings were confirmed to have been destroyed. “This is a tragic moment in the history of Los Angeles, but it’s also a moment where we are really tested and see who we really are,” Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonald said at a news conference.

What you need to know if you’re in Los Angeles:

• The Santa Ana winds that caused the fires to spread and intensify quickly are expected to return Thursday night into Friday morning. Red flag warnings have been extended for Los Angeles County.

• Stay informed of fire updates and be prepared to evacuate. Many Los Angeles residents recommend the Watch Duty app, which provides real-time maps of fire locations, the latest evacuation orders and warning audible notifications to keep you informed of developments in your area.

• Residents in Pasadena and Pacific Palisades have been warned that their water is unsafe for drinking or cooking due to contamination from fire debris. Use only bottled or boiled tap water.

Read more: Emergency drills

• Pack a travel bag and be sure to include as many items as possible: food and water, emergency blanket, flashlight, battery pack and phone charger cord, first aid kit, list of emergency phone numbers, medications and/or prescription glasses, sturdy shoes, At least one layer of clothing, hand sanitizer, personal documents (such as deeds and identification), and pet food (if necessary). Click here to see the full list of recommended programs.

• Let others know where you are. Share your live location with friends and family; if you’re not sure how, click here for iPhone instructions and here for WhatsApp instructions.

• If you’re one of the nearly 70,000 Los Angeles residents without power, save your phone’s battery by lowering screen brightness, turning off location services in non-emergency notification apps, disabling vibration, enabling auto-brightness and shortening screen timeouts.

What you need to know if you have friends, family or co-workers in an evacuation zone:

• Ask for their location and regularly view live maps of fire activity.
• If they don’t have power, limit your communications to a need-to-know basis to save phone battery and battery pack. If possible, stay in touch via text message rather than phone calls.

Help methods:

• Cal Fire Foundation partners with local organizations to provide short- and long-term support to those affected by wildfires.

• GoFundMe has released a searchable landing page for fundraising efforts affected by the fires.

• For conference professors, the SEARCH (Special Event Assistance, Relief, and Crisis Help) Foundation is raising funds to help those affected in the industry.