LA County Fire Resources: A Helpful Guide for Those in Need

On the morning of January 7th, the first call was made to report a wildfire in Pacific Palisades, which would later be known as the Palisades Fire. Later that night, a brush fire was reported in Altadena, which is northwest of the city of Pasadena. The latter fire would exponentially expand, and become infamously known as the Eaton Fire. Both of these devastating fires have been reported by The Los Angeles Times to have collectively destroyed over fifteen thousand structures, most being homes. Unfortunately, there were other wildfires that would engulf Southern California in ash and flames. While all nearby residents felt the destruction of these fires from the extremely harmful air quality index (AQI), provided by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), others experienced the immeasurable grief and hardship of losing their homes and most of their possessions since many families had to leave most of their personal belongings behind in haste to avoid injury. Because of this, many are in need of support and resources. To help these people, many local groups have sprouted and have established themselves as resource hubs.

For example, in the San Gabriel Valley region, the Junior League of Pasadena (JLP) is currently accepting donations and providing free essential items. They accept cleaning supplies, school supplies, over-the-counter (OTC) medicine, feminine hygiene products, and toiletries. The JLP is located at 149 S. Madison Avenue in Pasadena. For reference, their website is https://pasadena.jl.org/.

Also located in the San Gabriel Valley is People’s Cafe LA, which provides food distribution on the 2nd & 4th Tuesday of every month starting at 9 a.m; they accept $5 donations to continue feeding people in need. They are stationed at 2315 Mountain View Rd. in the city of El Monte. For those interested in donating, their website is https://linktr.ee/peoples_cafe1312.

In the Central part of Los Angeles proper, Ketchum-Downtown YMCA needs volunteers to sort items, unload items, deliver to affected YMCA and first responders, and support with in-person distribution. They accept donations such as gloves, batteries, diapers, wipes, toilet paper, paper towels, dry food and snacks, pet products, hygiene products, menstrual products, vitamins, shampoo, baby formula, bottles, pacifiers, laundry detergent, boxes, packing tape, school supplies, face masks (kids & adults), electrolyte drinks, and luggage. In order to encourage people to donate, the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA group has created a compassionate, directive message: “We are here to help anyone in need! Operating under an “open distribution” model, so guests can take however much they need. For loading in our courtyard, people can drive up onto the sidewalk where the “donation’s cone” is and park out in front. To get in contact [with us], please call the front desk at 213-624-2348 and ask for Nick or Hang.” They also provide temporary clothing and food at their distribution center and food bank, located at 401 S. Hope St. in Los Angeles. Their website, for reference, is https://www.ymcala.org/locations/ketchum-downtown-ymca.

Also located in the Central Los Angeles area, is the Esquina Bicycle Shop, which accepts donations in order to provide essential items such as water, personal protective equipment (PPE), portable chargers, gift cards, detergent, shelf-stable foods, N95 masks, 3M P100 masks, personal hygiene products, batteries, diapers, first aid supplies, toilet paper, paper towels, body wipes, baby formula, cat & dog food, high-quality HEPA air purifiers, and electric heaters. They are stationed at 2228 Whittier Blvd. in Los Angeles. Their cell phone number for reference is 213-600-7555.

In addition to aiding the Central Los Angeles area, the LA Dream Center Emergency Shelter needs volunteers to help accept donations and provide goods and services. They provide emergency shelter, host donation drives, and distribute free items. Volunteers are needed on days ranging from Monday to Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. For more information, email volunteers@dreamcenter.org for all available time slots. They accept hygiene products, menstrual products, and baby formula. They are located at 2301 Bellevue Ave. in Los Angeles. Their website for reference is https://www.dreamcenter.org/.

In the Greater Los Angeles area, Momcozy, Babylist Beverly Hills provides goods and services such as free baby essentials and medical care. The Momcozy, Babylist Beverly Hills group leaves a transparent message explaining their operating system: “We are deeply committed to supporting LA families impacted by the recent wildfires. Due to overwhelming demand, our initial inventory has reached capacity. However, we’ve allocated additional baby essentials to continue assisting families in need.” They offer a 30-minute call with a Nursing Assistive Personnel (NAPS) Registered Nurse and provide diaper sizes 1-4, wipes, baby blankets, diaper rash cream, breastmilk cooler bags, portable changing pads, and bottle warmers to those parents who need them. They are located at 211 S. Beverly Dr. in Beverly Hills. Their website for reference is https://www.babylist.com/lp/showroom. 

As evidenced by the aforementioned resources, the Southern Californian community has come together, especially during these trying times, in order to help provide support and aid to those who have suffered from the recent fires. 

As a disclaimer, the previously mentioned resources were last updated on January 30th, 2025. For more relevant information, please visit the Mutual Aid Los Angeles Network website at https://mutualaidla.org/.