Hundreds of people evacuated to shelters from two of California’s most destructive wildfires
More than 200 American Red Cross workers are helping Southern California residents evacuate from a massive, fast-moving wildfire that has destroyed thousands of homes of all sizes. The Red Cross is focused on making sure everyone has a safe place so that no one faces this heartbreaking crisis alone.
The threat is not over. The wind will subside today, but it is expected to return next week. As this situation continues to evolve, it is important that people remain vigilant, prepare to evacuate, and follow instructions from local authorities. The two major fires, the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, are among the top five most destructive fires in California history, destroying approximately 10,000 structures, according to CalFire’s preliminary assessment.
It is important to remember that people of all socio-economic backgrounds are affected by these devastating fires. This is especially true for people with limited resources and who experience greater sacrifice after disasters.
Red Cross response This morning, hundreds of evacuees woke up in emergency shelters, many suffering from the loss of everything. The Red Cross is working closely with partners to provide safe shelter, food, psychological support and other critical services to those in need.
At evacuation centers, disaster health volunteers treat minor injuries and replace glasses and medications, while mental health volunteers comfort victims. In addition, the organization is mobilizing hundreds more disaster workers to assist wildfire victims and preparing trucks to assist thousands of people in emergency shelters if needed. They are transporting supplies such as cots, blankets, and water.
where to ask for help Anyone who needs a safe place to stay can find shelter at: redcross.orgthe free Red Cross Emergency App, or call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767). Search for “American Red Cross” in the app store or visit the link below. redcross.org/apps. You can also follow your local Red Cross and emergency officials on social media, sign up for free local government alerts, and monitor local news. Anyone who needs help is encouraged to come to the shelter. You don’t have to stay overnight to get help.
Red Cross shelters are open to all people in need, regardless of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, ability, or citizenship status. All disaster assistance is free. No identification is required to enter the shelter. All you have to do is provide your name and where you lived before the disaster.
If possible, people who plan to stay in the shelter are encouraged to bring prescription medications, additional clothing, pillows, blankets, hygiene products, other comfort items, and important documents. Don’t forget to bring special items for your child or family members with special needs, such as diapers, formula, and toys.
These are difficult times for people who are grappling with the uncertainty of whether they will ever have a home or community to return to. Some people struggle with what to do next after losing everything. If you or a loved one is in need of help, call our toll-free 24/7 Multilingual Disaster Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 for assistance.
reunite with loved ones If you need help finding a loved one lost in a fire, the Red Cross may be able to help. visit redcross.org/findfamily Or, 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Please provide as much detail as possible to help us find your missing loved one.
How can we help? People are currently relying on Red Cross assistance and we need your support. Help the California Wildfires of 2025 by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767), or making a donation by texting the word CAWILDFIRES to 90999. Please support those affected by. Your donation allows the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to, and help people recover from these disasters.
of climate crisis Over the past two decades, it has been a major factor in increasing wildfire risk in the western United States. As more frequent and intense disasters upend people’s lives, the Red Cross provides near-continuous access to food, shelter and recovery assistance to help those in need.
While the Red Cross is providing assistance in California, preparations are also underway to respond to a major winter storm that is affecting millions of people across the South. Click here for more information.
Useful links:
Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) Through the American Red Cross’ Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and the generosity of disaster responders, the American Red Cross prepares for disasters before they occur. ADGP and disaster responder members help ensure a reliable funding base for disaster relief services that allow the Red Cross to respond immediately and meet the needs of affected individuals and families.
Mission leader members: Amazon; American Airlines; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Costco Wholesale; State Farm; Trust Foundation
ADGP $1 million members: Anheuser-Busch Foundation; Bank of America; Caterpillar Foundation; Chobani. CMA CGM Foundation; Delta Air Lines; Elevance Health Foundation; Enterprise Mobility Foundation. FedEx; Lilly Endowment Co.; Lowe’s Companies, Inc.; McDonald’s Corporation; Merck; Microsoft; National Foundation; Pfizer Foundation. Starbucks Foundation; Takeda; VSP Vision; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. wells fargo
ADGP $500,000 Members: Aldi; Altria Group; American Express; Aon; Baxter International Foundation; Boeing. Pan Financial; Capital One; Chick-fil-A; Citi Foundation; Clorox Company. Danaher Foundation; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental. DHL supply chain. Edison International; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Ford Philanthropies; Fox Corporation; GE Aerospace; General Motors; Google.org; HCA Healthcare. The Home Depot Foundation. JM Smucker Company. Johnson Controls Foundation; ;Kraft Heinz Company Foundation; Kroger Company Foundation; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Lockheed Martin Company; MasterCard; Mondelez International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; Paul Davis Restoration. PayPal; PepsiCo Foundation; PetSmart Charities; Southeastern Grocers Give Foundation & Southeastern Grocers, Harvey’s Supermarkets, Winn-Dixie. Stryker; Suburban Propane; Target; TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; UPS; USAA; United States Bank Foundation. Visa Foundation; Walt Disney Company. Wawa Foundation. Wesco; Zoetis Foundation
Disaster response members: 7-Eleven Care Foundation; Adobe Foundation; AES Corporation; Albemarle Corporation; Allstate Foundation. American Tire Distributor; American Water Charitable Foundation; Ameriprise Financial. Guarantors; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; Barclays; Bath & Body Works; Build-A-Bear Foundation. Canadian National Railways. CarMax; CDW; Charles Schwab Foundation; Cisco and the Cisco Foundation. CNA Insurance; Coca-Cola Foundation. Deluxe foundation. DENSO North America Foundation; DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation. Discover; Dollar General; Dollar Tree and Family Dollar. Duke Energy; Erie Insurance; Equity. Fifth Third Foundation. FirstEnergy Corporation; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC;; HP Foundation; International News; Invitation Home; Johnson & Johnson Foundation. Keurig Dr. Pepper; Kimberly-Clark Company; L’Oréal; LabCorp Charitable Foundation. Lenovo; LKQ; Macy’s Corporation; Major League Baseball. Marathon Petroleum Corporation. Martin Marietta. Masco Corporation; McKesson Foundation; MetLife Foundation; Neiman Marcus Group. NextEra Energy, Inc. Southern Norfolk. Northrop Grumman Foundation; Northwestern Mutual; Novartis; Old Dominion Freight Lines. Pacific Life Foundation;;Prudential; Raymond James; RBC Foundation USA; Reckitt. Reliance, Inc.; Reynolds American, Inc.; RTX; Rider Systems, Inc.; Salesforce; Santander Bank and Santander Consumer USA Foundation, Inc.; Security Finance’s Lending Hand Foundation; ServiceNow; Southwest Airlines; Stanley Black & Decker . Stevens. Tennant Foundation; U-Haul International. Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation; U.S. Food; Hmm! Brand: Zurich
