Updated January 27, 2025

Thousands of Californians are devastated by the catastrophic wildfires that wiped out their homes, cherished mementos and even their livelihoods. With neighborhoods reduced to ash, the American Red Cross is there providing help and hope with necessities like food, shelter, emotional care, recovery planning and financial assistance.

How we've helped so far:

• Nearly 500 Red Cross responders are working day and night to make sure people are not alone.
• Over 12,600 overnight stays have been provided with partners, offering warmth, safety and compassion to those who have left everything behind.
  
• Since the fires started over a week ago, the Red Cross has provided almost 115,000 meals and snacks with the help of partners.
• As communities reopen, Red Crossers are staffing re-entry points for the affected neighborhoods. At these sites, disaster workers are providing relief items such as cleaning supplies, flashlights, face masks, gloves, water and other essentials. Almost 63,000 relief supplies have already been provided.
• In our shelters, disaster health volunteers are caring for minor injuries and replacing things like eyeglasses and medications, and mental health workers are providing emotional support.
  
• Through these wildfires, we’re seeing the best of humanity come together to care for one another. In fact, more than 8,000 local community members have raised their hands to offer support to relief efforts by signing up to be new Red Cross volunteers.
• The Red Cross is working closely with local officials, government agencies and other nonprofits to coordinate relief efforts and make recovery plans. This support includes Disaster Recovery Centers in Los Angeles and Pasadena where people can access resources and aid from multiple organizations. Specialized task forces have been established to support immediate and long-term needs alongside community and government partners, including feeding, veteran care and long-term housing.
• Shelters will remain open for the coming weeks, but the ultimate goal is to help everyone transition into more permanent housing solutions. Red Cross caseworkers are working diligently with all shelter residents to help plan their next steps and connect them with other community resources.
• Financial assistance programs The Red Cross is providing financial assistance to impacted households inside the perimeters of the Eaton, Palisades, Hurst, and Kenneth fires. We are actively doing outreach to eligible individuals via email, text message, or phone call directly from the American Red Cross. To learn more about financial assistance, please visit redcross.org/gethelp. People can also call 211 or visit 211LA for help. We strongly encourage people to apply for federal aid at disasterassistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362. It’s important to know that eligibility for Red Cross assistance is not connected to FEMA. You don’t need approval from FEMA to get help from the Red Cross, and receiving money from the Red Cross won’t impact your eligibility for FEMA assistance or insurance payouts.
• Read stories from those affected by the fires

Red Cross shelters are open to everyone in need

Anyone who needs a safe place to stay or a warm meal can find shelter information by clicking here, by accessing the free Red Cross Emergency app or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).

All disaster assistance is free. We don’t require people to show any kind of identification to enter a shelter — just their name and where they were living before the disaster.

Red Cross shelters are open to everyone in need, regardless of race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation or citizenship status. Pets are welcome. We do everything we can to accommodate service animals and domesticated pets comfortably in our shelters. Sometimes, depending on the situation, pets may need to be housed in a different location with support from local partners.

Los refugios de la Cruz Roja están abiertos a todas las personas necesitadas, independientemente de su raza, religión, identidad de género, orientación sexual o estado de ciudadanía. Las mascotas son bienvenidas. Toda la asistencia en caso de desastre es gratuita.

How to Find Help

Many areas remain inaccessible. If you need assistance, please consider coming to a shelter.

• If you can, download the Red Cross Emergency app to find service locations or visit redcross.org/gethelp.
• You can also find shelters by following your local Red Cross and local emergency officials on social media, or by monitoring local news.
• If you’re unable to access the information you need, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).

Help finding a loved one

Those needing assistance locating a missing loved one because of the fires can 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.

Learn more about Red Cross assistance

• Call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767) - 24 hours a day
• Download our free Red Cross Emergency App

Recovering Emotionally After a Disaster - to reach out for free 24/7 counseling or support, call or text the multilingual Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.

Disasters are upsetting experiences for everyone involved. Children, senior citizens, people with disabilities and people for whom English is not their first language are especially at risk and are likely to need extra care and help. But everyone, even the people that others look up to for guidance and assistance, is entitled to their feelings and deserves support throughout the recovery process.  Call our Disaster Distress Helpline or read more here.