A Year After 2025’s Devastating Wildfires, Help Continues for Los Angeles Communities

In early January 2025, just days into the new year, multiple wildfires swept through Los Angeles County and surrounding areas. Two of them, the Eaton and Palisades fires, would become the second and third most destructive blazes in California history.

By the time the flames were contained, more than 17,000 homes were destroyed or severely damaged, and over 200,000 residents were forced to evacuate. Entire neighborhoods in communities like Altadena, Pasadena, and Pacific Palisades were reduced to ash.

The American Red Cross mobilized nearly 1,900 disaster volunteers and employees to provide aid to people suffering from devastating losses. Working with our response partners, we helped open emergency shelters across Los Angeles County, where residents who had been forced to flee their homes could find safe refuge, warm meals, relief items and caring shoulders to lean on.

All told, the Red Cross and our partners provided more than 188,500 meals and snacks, nearly 21,000 overnight shelter stays and reached an estimated 178,000 people with relief and recovery assistance, including more than $51 million in direct financial assistance to thousands of households.

Learn more about our response to the 2025 California Wildfires.

ONE YEAR LATER, RED CROSS STILL HELPING It’s been a year since the fires and the Red Cross remains on the ground, offering ongoing assistance to help impacted residents and making grants to nonprofit organizations providing vital recovery and resiliency services to the affected communities.

In the immediate aftermath, we worked closely with our partners, including local officials and other nonprofits, to coordinate relief efforts and make recovery plans. We helped open Disaster Recovery Centers where people could access resources and aid from multiple organizations. Specialized task forces were established to support immediate and long-term needs alongside community partners, including feeding and long-term housing.

Thanks to generous support from our donors, the Red Cross could also deliver an additional round of cash assistance for individuals and families who still face significant barriers to their recovery, helping them secure temporary housing, replace lost furniture and home essentials and other pressing needs. We also provided recovery grants to nonprofit community partners providing direct support to affected families to help build resilience ahead of future disasters. These grants continue to support home rebuilding, mental health, disaster case management and other ongoing community needs.

Learn more in our one-year report.

WHAT IS RED CROSS LONG-TERM RECOVERY? When a disaster occurs, the Red Cross quickly mobilizes to meet people’s immediate needs ─ safe shelter, food, emotional support, health services, spiritual care, financial assistance and emergency relief supplies.

But this immediate response is not the end of our support. When resources allow, the Red Cross provides additional support to help meet individual and community recovery needs.

These long-term recovery efforts may include additional rounds of direct financial assistance for affected households or grants for nonprofits and community organizations delivering or assisting community-wide recovery efforts.

YOU CAN HELP people affected by disasters big and small, whenever and wherever they occur across the country. Visit redcross.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) to make a donation. Your financial support helps to provide food, shelter, relief supplies, financial assistance and comfort when people need it most.

Your time and talent can make a real difference in people's lives. When disaster strikes, it’s critical that people receive life’s basics like food and shelter. Be the one to help them ─ become a Red Cross volunteer. Learn more here.