Despite its enormous scale and destruction, the California wildfires, which currently have displaced thousands of people, and killed nearly 80, have hardly made the top of the news cycle. To paraphrase one Twitter user, the lack of focused narrative and the incredible amount of damage makes the event difficult to describe, let alone trumpet on the evening news. With nearly 1,000 people missing due to the Camp Fire in Northern California and almost 100,000 acres burned in Southern California’s Woolsey Fire, the video footage of near-death escapes, tweets searching for loved ones, and homes now uninhabitable, seem unbearable in their hardship.
Still, like Mr. Rogers often quoted his mother as saying, “Where there is tragedy, there are heroes.” Many have pulled together, from all parts of the country, stars and average Americans, poor and wealthy, to offer whatever comfort they can in the midst of these hard times.
The Woolsey Fire is raging near Malibu. As such, several Hollywood stars have seen their homes damaged or destroyed. Actor Gerard Butler’s home was damaged, but despite that, he immediately held a fundraiser at the home of his girlfriend to raise money for those in need. The fundraiser included other actors and singers, and the event, which included the likes of Sean Penn, Jamie Foxx, and Cindy Crawford, raised more than $2 million, which they immediately gave to those affected.
[Read more: Trump lands in California to assess wildfires]
Actor James Woods, who boasts an incredible presence on Twitter and is also a vocal conservative, turned his platform into a bulletin board of sorts, tweeting photos of lost or displaced loved ones and animals by geographical tags. As a result, many people started to reconnect to their animals and family members. Other Hollywood stars who disagree with Woods politically, like Alyssa Milano and Patton Oswalt, thanked him publicly for using his platform for good.
#Found! And this is why we do it, followers!!! Debbie was kind enough to thank you all personally. You saved a life today! #CampFireJamesWoods #SoCalFiresJamesWoods https://t.co/xnnCWik9qR
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) November 12, 2018
Thank you, Alyssa. I’m glad you’re safe. If any of your many fans reach out to you with info about missing persons, please refer them to my hashtags (by geography) #CampFireJamesWoods or #SoCalFiresJamesWoods. People can use this as a “bulletin board” for info. @Alyssa_Milano https://t.co/04rziSP6Ld
— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) November 10, 2018
One of the most difficult aspects of the fires was how quickly they came tearing through residences and towns. Many families had to try to escape with what little they could fit into a vehicle. This story of the effort to quickly evacuate 91 elderly, ill men and women from a nursing home is harrowing and inspiring. Somehow, against all odds, the director managed to get nearly 100 people evacuated in a short amount of time.
For many people who had to evacuate, they were either forced to leave their beloved pets behind, or the pets ran off in the flurry of activity. All animal lovers know cats, dogs, horses, and others are not just pets but part of the family. Even seemingly small acts of kindness, like helping people get reunited with their animals, show beautiful acts of humanity in an otherwise difficult time.
A heartwarming video shows the moment that a woman first lays eyes on the beloved cat she feared she had lost forever in Northern California’s devastating Camp fire. https://t.co/FGFGsKRvdb
— HuffPost (@HuffPost) November 17, 2018
Cat loves firefighter who rescued it from wildfire in Paradise, California. pic.twitter.com/dKyzOOZFyx
— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) November 18, 2018
For much of the country, there is little others can tangibly do besides pray, offer comfort, and donate funds. There are all kinds of GoFundMe accounts set up for various causes, from homes to animals to, in this case, people whose musical instruments have been destroyed.
This is a lovely thing: A GoFundMe for musicians who lost their instruments in the California wildfires. Donated. https://t.co/3ppwMyjjlq
— Steve Silberman (@stevesilberman) November 16, 2018
In a fire like the ones California is experiencing, life whittles down to basic necessities: food, clothing, shelter, safety. Various chefs saw this need, including celebrity chefs with large social media platforms and access to tremendous resources, and have launched efforts to feed people who had to evacuate their homes.
“We find existing structures and we bring the knowledge, the chefs and the hands.” Read @tejalrao’s coverage of WCK’s #ChefsForCalifornia on the ground in Chico on @nytimes.
— WorldCentralKitchen (@WCKitchen) November 16, 2018
While the fires in California are devastating, it’s heartening to see people do what they can in a time of crisis to help people they may never even meet.
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
