Beyoncé has committed to helping the thousands of families affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires. Over the weekend, the star’s charity foundation, BeyGood, launched its LA Fire Relief Fund with an initial $2.5 million donation.
“Los Angeles, we stand with you,” the organization wrote on Instagram. “The fund is earmarked to aid families in the Altadena/Pasadena area who lost their homes and to churches and community centers to address the immediate needs of those affected by the wildfires.”
Since Jan. 7, the Los Angeles area has been battling a series of wildfires that have burned over 30,000 acres of land and displaced thousands of residents. Though the Los Angeles Fire Department has been able to reduce the number of active fires from five to four, they continue to battle rapidly spreading flames of the Palisades, Eaton, Horseshoe, and Hurst fires.
Among these, the Eaton Fire has been particularly devastating, not only as the second-largest wildfire in the region but also as the deadliest. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office reports that 16 of the 24 confirmed deaths are linked to this fire zone.
Tragically, the Eaton Fire has primarily impacted the historically Black neighborhood of Altadena, decimating California’s first middle-class Black community.
“What hurts the most is that our state didn’t prepare for this at all,” shared a grieving family member of one of the victims, as reported by theGrio.
In addition to BeyGood’s efforts, other Black-led organizations like WalkGoodLA — founded by Etienne Maurice, son of actress Sheryl Lee Ralph —have partnered with AfroPunk, Spill, and others to raise $7 million in support of Black families in the Altadena and Pasadena areas.
