Jamie Lee Curtis has donated $1 million to a relief fund for communities impacted by the wildfires sweeping across Los Angeles.
“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,” Curtis 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.”
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Curtis spoke about the devastating fires on “The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon” Wednesday night, calling the natural disaster “f***ing gnarly” and “a really awful situation.”
“As you know, where I live is on fire right now. The entire city of Pacific Palisades is burning. I flew here last night, I was on the plane, started getting texts and it’s fucking gnarly, you guys. It’s just a catastrophe in Southern California,” she said. “Everything: the market I shop in, the schools my kids go to. Many, many, many friends now have lost their homes. So it’s a really awful situation.”
The donation comes as firefighters and rescue crews continue to combat a series of fires that have wreaked havoc on Southern California. Over 15,000 acres have burned in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu since a fire started Tuesday morning, destroying hundreds of structures and causing mass evacuations in the area. East of L.A., the Eaton Fire has burned through more than 10,000 acres, heavily impacting the Altadena and Pasadena areas.
A third blaze, the Hurst Fire, has burned through more than 700 acres at top of the San Fernando Valley.
As the fires grew Tuesday and Wednesday, the entertainment industry began to cancel various events around Los Angeles, including the red carpet premieres of “Unstoppable,” “The Last Showgirl,” “Better Man” and “Wolf Man.”
The Critics Choice Awards and AFI Awards Luncheon were both canceled amid the ongoing fires, while Oscar nomination announcements were pushed back two days to accommodate an extended voting window.
Photography on various local productions, such as “Fallout” and “Abbott Elementary,” were also halted.
The nonprofit Entertainment Industry Foundation activated Wednesday morning to funnel public donations to frontline works and displaced individuals.
A nonprofit backed by Hollywood power players is stepping up to help firefighters, first responders and communities affected by the wildfires ravaging Los Angeles and surrounding areas.
The EIF last administered a fund for the 2023 Maui fires, alongside Oprah Winfrey and Dwayne Johnson.