As wildfires continue to burn across Los Angeles, we are gathering resources to help locals and travelers who are currently being displaced by the fires.
In the Pacific Palisades, the Palisades Fire is now burning across 15,832 acres, and in Pasadena and Altadena, the Eaton Fire has spread to 10,600 acres, according the fire-tracking app Watch Duty. As of Wednesday morning, L.A. county fire chief Anthony Marrone estimated that 1,000 structures had been lost. At the moment, at least 30,000 Los Angeles residents have been ordered to evacuate.
“With so many homes threatened and even more destroyed, I think the most immediate need is shelter for everyone displaced,” Marta Freedman, a well-known entrepreneur based in Malibu who just lost her home, told Travel + Leisure. “This unfathomable disaster doesn’t have an end in sight, and I think awareness is important, too. When I put in a claim for my destroyed car today, the insurance agent had no idea the fires were happening. The L.A. hospitality community should come together to open their doors to the thousands of displaced families right now.”
Airbnb just announced it will provide “free, temporary housing for people who have been displaced by the Los Angeles wildfires.” You can find more information on booking a free stay here or offering a free stay here. In the announcement, Airbnb said they are “specifically focused on residents who have either lost their home or been forced to evacuate in the Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and Sylmar areas. Impacted residents can request assistance for temporary housing support from Airbnb.org by contacting 211 LA.”
An Airbnb spokesperson told T+L, “This policy means hosts can cancel eligible stays without consequences and guests who have an eligible booking can cancel for a refund. Guests with eligible reservations can cancel for a full refund if their trip has not yet started or a partial refund for any nights not stayed if they had to cut their trip short.” You can find more guidance at airbnb.com.
Those who check into a Los Angeles hotel should keep their receipts and take photos of them so they can submit them to their home or travel insurance company for reimbursement. Hotels across the city are taking people in, many with discounted room rates. T+L encourages hotels, vacation rental companies, and hospitality professionals who still have space to comment at the bottom of this article and let displaced locals and travelers know about free rooms or discounts.
T+L encourages hotels and vacation rental companies that still have space to comment at the bottom of this article and let displaced locals and travelers know about free rooms or discounts.
Mutual Aid LA has compiled a spreadsheet of local shelter and animal boarding options, and World Central Kitchen is on the ground in the Pacific Palisades providing water and sandwiches. They’re working on expanding to other evacuation points, and you can follow their movements on Instagram. Charter companies like Elite Charter are offering coaches and small buses to help with evacuations, and public spaces including art galleries and cafés across L.A. (like Mud/Wtr in Santa Monica) are offering shelter, Wi-Fi, parking, and charging ports. Planet Fitness locations across L.A. are also offering free access to locker rooms, showers, Wi-Fi and more.
Those who are not in California and would like to help can donate to organizations like California Fire Foundation; your money will go to “fallen firefighter families, firefighters, and their communities,” per the website. You can also donate to World Central Kitchen and the California Community Fund, which aims to aid long-term recovery.
I’m reporting from Silver Lake, Los Angeles, where my neighbors are intermittently losing power and our Air Quality Index is pushing 200, but there are no active fires nearby. I’ll be updating this piece regularly for the next few days, so please comment below if you are in the hospitality industry and would like to share a resource that can help house displaced Angelenos and travelers.
