Aggies rally for Pacific Palisades
The Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, has been on fire since Jan 7. It has rapidly become one of the most devastating wildfires in Los Angeles history, burning nearly 30,000 acres, destroying over 12,000 structures and resulting in at least 25 fatalities.
The cause of this fire is unknown but speculated to be due to a small bushfire from New Year’s celebrations on Jan. 1, according to NBC and ABC7 Los Angeles. Reports suggest it began near Skull Rock on the Temescal Ridge Trail, a popular hiking trail similar to those surrounding Logan Canyon.
Utah State University’s student body hails from 43 states of the U.S., with California being the third most popular home state for an Aggie after Idaho and Utah.
Audrey Gass, an aviation major from Orange County wrote in a text to The Utah Statesman about having to watch the fires so far from home.
“Luckily, my family is safe from immediate danger but I do have a few friends that have had to evacuate,” Gass wrote.
Similarly, broadcast journalism student Aliyah Walker has also had to watch from afar as the fires sweep through her home.
“The LA fires have taken my high school, the community I grew up in, the homes of so many friends. It’s heartbreaking to see the streets I grew up on become unrecognizable as they burn to the ground. All I can think about is the memories I have in the Palisades village after school, the countless track meets I ran on our field, and the homes I made so many memories with. I can’t hardly believe that many of my closest friends are now homeless due to this natural disaster,” wrote Walker in a text to The Statesman.
Walker also reported she is grateful to have not lost her home in Brentwood to the fires but mourns the community around it.
“What are you really going back to when most people have fled and many houses are just piles of ash. It’s scary. I genuinely can’t believe the streets I grew up on aren’t even there anymore,” Walker wrote.
As of Jan. 15, containment efforts continue, with firefighters working to control the blaze. The community’s resilience and the support from neighboring regions, including Utah, play a crucial role in recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Utah has had a large influx of California residents in recent years. According to the Deseret News, 18,669 of Utah’s new residents in 2022 were from California.
Thus, Utah foundations and organizations are organizing relief efforts such as the BW Bastian Foundation from Orem, which has pledged to price-match donations made to the Red Cross in fire relief efforts.
“This initiative has the potential to double the impact of community contributions, providing essential aid to families displaced by the fires. From emergency shelter to meals and recovery services, these funds will directly support those in need during this critical time,” wrote Keith Paul, regional communications director for The American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region in a press release sent to the Statesman.
For more information on The Pacific Palisades fire visit cafirefoundation.org/ or fire.ca.gov/.