Jamie Lee Curtis Pledges $1 Million to L.A. Fire Relief Funds
Jamie Lee Curtis has announced plans to donate $1 million toward fire relief funds amid the ongoing destructive wildfires ravaging Los Angeles. Curtis said the money would come from her “Family Foundation,” which she formed with her husband and children, to “support our great city and state and the great people who live and love there.”
“As the fire still rages on and @calfire @losangelesfiredepartment and all the available first responders and agencies involved in fighting fire and saving lives are still hard at work and neighbors and friends are banding together to save each other, my husband and I and our children have pledged $1 million from our Family Foundation to start a fund of support for our great city and state and the great people who live and love there,” she wrote on Instagram. “I’m in communication with Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass and Senator Schiff as to where those funds need to be directed for the most impact.”
Closing the message, she vowed to “post often about where you can send needed resources to reputable agencies.”
The devastating fires in Los Angeles have so far killed at least five people and destroyed thousands of homes and businesses, displacing more than 130,000 people, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Palisades fire has burned through nearly 12,000 acres west of Los Angeles, while the Eaton fire has burned over 10,000 acres east of the city. A new fire, called the Sunset Fire by officials, in the Hollywood Hills broke out Thursday, but Reuters reports that one has largely been contained.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Wednesday, Curtis spoke emotionally about the devastation in her home state.
“As you know, where I live is on fire right now,” the actress told the New York-based late-night show. “Literally, the entire city of the Pacific Palisades is burning. I flew here last night. I was on the plane and started getting texts. It’s fucking gnarly, you guys. It’s a catastrophe in Southern California. Obviously, there have been horrific fires in many places. This is literally where I live. Everything — the market I shop in, the schools my kids go to. Many, many, many, many friends now have lost their homes. It’s a really awful situation.
“I am obviously going to go home first thing tomorrow and be with my friend and try to help my friends.” She also encouraged viewers to support the American Red Cross, for which she is an ambassador, and to do whatever they can to help, from donating blood to donating money. “Do anything you can,” she said. “Anything in your community to help people.”