Red Cross helping in southern California as thousands face unimaginable loss

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The wildfires that roared through Alice Galicia’s neighborhood in Altadena, CA, destroyed every physical possession she owned. Nothing is left, it’s all gone — her home of thirty-four years, the photos of her children as babies, her son’s high school diploma. Everything. She fled to the American Red Cross shelter not knowing if her home would survive, and then someone showed her a picture of the smoldering remains, nothing left but the chimney. “That’s when I broke down,” she said to Red Cross volunteer Kim Mailes. Despite her loss and the uncertainty of what lies ahead, Alice is grateful for the safety and comforts being provided to her. “The Red Cross has been wonderful to me,” she said. “They replaced my prescriptions I left behind; they are providing a place for me to stay near my elderly mother who came with me. A lot of my neighbors are here too. I don’t know what we would have done without the Red Cross to help us right now.” Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross

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“I don’t know yet if my home and car survived the fire, but the Red Cross is taking care of everything I need right now,” said Rona Schneider, who is staying at a Red Cross shelter after fleeing as the Palisades Fire raced toward her home. She grabbed her most precious possession: a photo of her mother and father taken decades ago. “They were really something,” she said of the first-generation immigrants from Poland, “my mother and father were very accomplished, and I couldn’t bear to leave the picture behind.” Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross

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“Having my little dog, Puff, with me here at the shelter means everything,” Francoise Mira of Palisades, California explained to Red Cross volunteer Kim Mailes. Francoise was spending her fourth night at the Red Cross shelter after fleeing devastating wildfires, and remembers feeling ‘half panic, half uncertainty’ about leaving the place she’s called home since the age of four. “The Red Cross volunteers here at the shelter have been wonderful to me,” she said, noting they arranged refills for prescriptions she left behind, and have provided food for Puff. Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross

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Carla Llamuca comforts her four-year-old daughter, Thoa Perez, wrapped around an American Red Cross blanket at the Westwood Recreation Center in Los Angeles. The pair fled the intense and fast-moving Palisades fire after receiving an evacuation notice. To make sure no one faces this heartbreaking crisis alone, we’re working closely with our partners to provide safe shelter, food, emotional support and other critical services. Photo by Mimi Teller/American Red Cross

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“I almost didn’t make it out,” said Sheridan Kelsey-DeFranco. “The wildfire was approaching, and I saw flamed in the sky. I grabbed whatever I could, along with my dog, Sparky, and fled.” She’s staying now at the American Red Cross shelter in Pasadena, California, until the evacuation orders are lifted. “I make it okay during the day, but when night comes, I’m uncomfortable,” she explained to Red Cross volunteer Elvia Pacheco-Ruyna, but she’s grateful to have Sparky by her side. “If I don’t eat,” she said, “that’s okay. But if Sparky’s okay, I can make it. And they are taking good care of both of us.” Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross

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Kristina Moore had dedicated her life to helping others get their lives back on track, helping drug addicts kick their habit and start all over. But since wildfires destroyed her Altadena, CA, home, she’s starting all over again too. She is staying at a Red Cross shelter as she contemplates a difficult future. “I don’t know where to go from here,” she said, “but it means everything right now to have a safe place for our son. I’m so used to helping others, it’s hard for me to let go right now. But I know this is where I’m supposed to be, and I’m grateful for the Red Cross.” Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross

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Military veteran John Williams didn’t know where to go when wildfires swept through his Los Angeles community. He wound up at a Red Cross shelter, where he found safety and support. “With my medical condition, I have to be treated tenderly and carefully. All the volunteers here have been so compassionate, and they’ve treated me so professionally. I feel so welcome here. People like me are sometimes hesitant to reach out for help and won’t come to a shelter. But you guys are so friendly, and I know I’m welcome and I feel safe.” Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross

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When the order came to evacuate the wildfires, Army veteran Curtis Howard called the Veterans Administration, who picked him up and delivered him to a Red Cross shelter. “I’m a big news-watching person, and I knew it was coming. But I still wasn’t emotionally ready. I’ve been through a lot, everything from homelessness to where I am today, but this one’s been tough. The Red Cross has been so good to me since I’ve been at the shelter. They’ve provided everything — everything — I need. When this is over, I’m going to become a donor to the Red Cross and pay it forward to the next person who needs help after a disaster. I’m a believer in the Red Cross now.” Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross

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Caroline Lee and her dog, Sunny, are staying at a Red Cross shelter after being evacuated. “I’ve been under a lot of stress,” she said. “I never expected something like these wildfires to force me to flee. I started crying, I just couldn’t help it. But I got to the shelter, and the volunteers have been so nice to me. They got medications for my dog, and they’ve been taking good care of me, too. I’m very grateful, and it’s so heartwarming that these Red Cross volunteers have come from all over the country to help.” Photo by Scott Dalton/American Red Cross

January 14, 2025

As many as 92,000 people still evacuated as dangerous wildfire conditions return

As Californians cope with the trauma and massive destruction from the wildfires, more than 400 American Red Cross workers are helping to ensure no one faces this heartbreaking time alone. We’re working closely with our partners to provide food, shelter, emotional support and other critical aid.

A week after the fires first sparked, as many as 92,000 people are still under mandatory evacuation orders. The threat isn’t over as dangerous fire weather conditions continue with winds as strong as 70 mph fanning the flames. Many utilities are being shut off to help prevent new fires. Now is the time for people to remain vigilant, be prepared to evacuate and follow instructions from local officials.

RED CROSS RESPONSE Tuesday morning more than 700 evacuees woke up in Red Cross shelters, many of whom are struggling after losing everything. We want people to know that our shelters are a safe place for everyone. We don’t ask for identification, and you don’t have to stay overnight to get help. Find shelter locations on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).

Disaster health volunteers are caring for minor injuries and replacing things like eyeglasses and medications for those in our shelters, and mental health workers are providing emotional support to those experiencing unimaginable loss.

Red Cross caseworkers are also helping shelter residents create personal plans for their next steps and connect them with other community resources. The top priority is housing, but we’re also helping people with transportation, health care, childcare and other needs.

For 16 years Dale and Patricia Fielder built their lives around their Altadena home which has been destroyed by the fires. Read their story here.

USEFUL LINKS:

Find a shelter.
Prepare to evacuate.
Get important information about wildfire safety and preparedness.
What should you do during a power outage?
Help find a missing loved one.
Apply for FEMA assistance.
Schedule a blood donation.

WHERE TO GET HELP This is a painful time for those grappling with loss and the uncertainty of what comes next. Some people are still trying to find loved ones, and we’ve received hundreds of requests for help. If you need assistance locating a missing loved one because of the fires, we may be able to help. Visit redcross.org/findfamily or reach us at 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Please provide as much detail as possible to assist us in potentially locating your missing loved one.

If you or a loved one needs help, reach out to the free 24/7 multilingual Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 for support.

HOW YOU CAN HELP Families are depending on the Red Cross for assistance now, and we need your support. Please help people affected by the 2025 California Wildfires by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or texting the word CAWILDFIRES to 90999 to make a donation. Your gift enables the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from these disasters.

As the wildfires continue to burn and affect air quality, the number of Red Cross blood drive cancelations has grown, impacting hundreds of lifesaving blood donations. Plus, dangerous snow and ice conditions in other parts of the country have resulted in lost donations. Donors of all blood types — particularly type O negative blood donors and those giving platelets — are needed to help save lives. Where it is safe to do so, we encourage people to schedule a blood donation appointment by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

It’s important to remember that people from all socioeconomic backgrounds are impacted by these destructive fires. This is especially true for people with limited resources who usually experience a heavier toll after disasters.

The climate crisis has been a key driver in increasing the risk of wildfires in the western U.S. during the last two decades. With more frequent and intense disasters upending lives, the Red Cross is providing food, shelter and recovery support on a nearly continual basis to support people in need.

Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) Through the generosity of our American Red Cross Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP) and Disaster Responder members, the American Red Cross is prepared before disaster strikes. ADGP and Disaster Responder members help secure a reliable funding base for disaster relief services that enables the Red Cross to respond immediately, meeting the needs of individuals and families affected by

Mission Leader Members: Amazon; American Airlines; The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Costco Wholesale; State Farm; Truist Foundation

ADGP $1M 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 Inc.; Lowe's Companies, Inc.; McDonald’s Corporation; Merck; Microsoft; Nationwide Foundation; The Pfizer Foundation; The Starbucks Foundation; Takeda; VSP Vision; Walmart and the Walmart Foundation; Wells Fargo

ADGP $500k Members: ALDI; Altria Group; American Express; Aon; Baxter International Foundation; Boeing; Bread Financial; Capital One; Chick-fil-A; Citi Foundation; The Clorox Company; Danaher Foundation; Darden Foundation; Delta Dental; DHL Supply Chain; Edison International; Energy Transfer/Sunoco Foundation; Ford Philanthropy; Fox Corporation; GE Aerospace; General Motors; Google.org; HCA Healthcare; The Home Depot Foundation; The J.M. Smucker Company; Johnson Controls Foundation; ; The Kraft Heinz Company Foundation; The Kroger Co. Foundation; Liberty Mutual Insurance; Lockheed Martin Corporation; Mastercard; Mondelēz International Foundation; New Balance Foundation; Paul Davis Restoration; PayPal; PepsiCo Foundation; PetSmart Charities; Southeastern Grocers Gives Foundation & Southeastern Grocers, Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie; Stryker; Suburban Propane; Target; The TJX Companies, Inc.; Toyota; United Airlines; UPS; USAA; U.S. Bank Foundation; Visa Foundation; The Walt Disney Company; The Wawa Foundation; Wesco; Zoetis Foundation

Disaster Responder Members: 7-Eleven Cares Foundation; Adobe Foundation; The AES Corporation; Albemarle Corporation; The Allstate Foundation; American Tire Distributors; American Water Charitable Foundation; Ameriprise Financial; Assurant; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; Avangrid Foundation; Barclays; Bath & Body Works;; Build-A-Bear Foundation; Canadian National Railway; CarMax; CDW; Charles Schwab Foundation; Cisco and Cisco Foundation; CNA Insurance; The Coca-Cola Foundation; The Deluxe Foundation; DENSO North America Foundation; The DICK’S Sporting Goods Foundation; Discover; Dollar General; Dollar Tree and Family Dollar; Duke Energy; Erie Insurance; Equitable; Fifth Third Foundation; FirstEnergy Corporation; Harbor Freight Tools Foundation, LLC;; HP Foundation; International Paper; Invitation Homes; Johnson & Johnson Foundation; Keurig Dr Pepper; Kimberly-Clark Corporation; L’Oréal; The Labcorp Charitable Foundation; Lenovo ; LKQ; Macy’s, Inc.; Major League Baseball; Marathon Petroleum Corporation; Martin Marietta; Masco Corporation; McKesson Foundation; MetLife Foundation; Neiman Marcus Group; NextEra Energy, Inc.; Norfolk Southern; Northrop Grumman Foundation; Northwestern Mutual; Novartis; Old Dominion Freight Line; Pacific Life Foundation;; Prudential; Raymond James; RBC Foundation USA; Reckitt; Reliance, Inc.; Reynolds American Inc.; RTX; Ryder System, Inc.; Salesforce; Santander Bank and Santander Consumer USA Foundation Inc. ; Security Finance’s Lending Hand Foundation; ServiceNow; Southwest Airlines; Stanley Black & Decker; Stephens; Tennant Foundation; U-Haul International; Ulta Beauty Charitable Foundation; US Foods; Yum! Brands; Zurich

About the American Red Cross:

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.