| The Associated Press reports today that the major fires in the Los Angeles area have killed at least 24 people and have now consumed more than 62 square miles, an area larger than San Francisco. “More powerful winds were expected to trigger new wildfires that could set back the recent progress made in containing blazes that have destroyed thousands of homes,” reports the AP. EJS President Lisa Holder and her family, and so many of our EJS friends and allies, are among those impacted by this disaster. Our thoughts are with them as well as our fervent hopes for their continued safety. Below we share information that we hope will be useful to you, your loved ones, and anyone you know impacted by the fires. Please feel free to share this and also send us (via reply to this email) any information that you’d like us to share in future emails. |
| One-Stop Information Website on LA FiresWade Crowfoot, California Secretary for Natural Resources, shared a California state government website https://www.ca.gov/LAfires that aims to be a one-stop information resource in English and Spanish, including: 🔥 Real-time info on the fires 🗺️ Location of shelters & resources ⛑️ How to apply for financial assistance ✅ Sign-up for alerts and safety tips |
| Danny Robinson and Sharon Beckford sift through the rubble of their family’s home that the Eaton Fire in Altadena destroyed. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images Altadena was one of the few communities offering housing and loans to Black Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. As a result, it became a popular community for a growing Black middle class seeking to escape discrimination elsewhere. https://tinyurl.com/23ycqoax |
| Latin Times: Latinos in Altadena Mourn Their Community: Working-class families in Altadena grapple with loss as wildfires continue ravaging entire neighborhoods“It’s a nightmare. My soul and my heart ache. Everything is gone. Houses, schools, churches, banks. Everything,” Teresa García, who is originally from Poncitlán, Jalisco, a small town in Central Mexico, told The Latin Times. Teresa and her husband had settled in Altadena because many people from her small town lived there. They lost everything as well. https://tinyurl.com/2boe67sz |
| Mental Health Professionals Offering Pro Bono Therapy ServicesNicole Arzt, LMFT, has put together a spreadsheet, “Mental Health Professionals Offering Pro Bono Therapy Services,” of professionals providing therapy services, including individual sessions, support groups, and family options to share with individuals impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. |
| Sac Observer: Raging Fires in Pasadena and Altadena Devastate Black Families; Strain Fire Protection SystemsThe Eaton Fire has left a devastating mark on Southern California, including the Black and Brown communities of Pasadena and Altadena, where homeowners are grappling with unimaginable loss. The Eaton fire, fueled by unseasonably strong winds of up to 70 miles per hour, has consumed over 10,000 acres, damaged and destroyed an estimated 7,000 structures, and claimed at least 16 lives. Black and Brown families, many with deep generational ties to the area, are now among the thousands displaced. https://tinyurl.com/2ate9prq |
| Associated Press: The California wildfires could be leaving deeper inequality in their wakeA drive through the charred neighborhoods around Altadena shows that the fires also burned through a remarkable haven for generations of Black families avoiding discriminatory housing practices elsewhere. They have been communities of racial and economic diversity, where many people own their own homes. Some now fear the most destructive fires in California’s history have altered that for good. Recovery and rebuilding may be out of reach for many, and pressures of gentrification could be renewed. https://tinyurl.com/275zj5yl |
| Mental Health Support Services via CALÓ NEWSLAUSD students and families needing mental health support are encouraged to call the Student and Family Wellness Resource Line at (213) 241-3840. Support is available between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. Employees may access the Employee Assistance Service for Education (EASE) by visiting https://www.lausd.org/domain/1438 or calling the 24/7 support line at 800-882-1341. Source. |