In response to the damage caused by the fires in California, particularly in Los Angeles County, Amazon has allocated 10 million dollars to help the affected individuals, as well as to assist with relief efforts.
In a statement, the company explained that this donation comes from its entertainment division (which includes Amazon MGM Studios, Prime Video, and Amazon Music), Ring, and Whole Foods Market.
“The communities in the Los Angeles area affected by the recent wildfires are home to many of our Amazon employees and their families and friends. We are concerned about the impact these fires are having on the Los Angeles communities,” said the company.
This donation will be directly directed to national and local organizations working on the wildfires, including the American Red Cross of Southern California, FireAid, MusiCares Fire Relief Effort, World Central Kitchen, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Habitat for Los Angeles Wildfire Fund, and the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce Small Business Relief/Recovery Fund, among others.
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What has Amazon donated to combat the fires in California?
So far, the company has donated more than 145,000 essential items to 17 local organizations helping in the wildfire response. The donations include:
- 30,000 items for the Salvation Army of Los Angeles County, such as water, sports drinks, children’s juices, and snacks.
- 5,000 shelter items, including shower chairs and beds for young children.
- More than 300 items for wildfire response (gloves, goggles, boots, respirators, shovels, rakes, axes, smoke bombs, screens, and medical supplies for burns and heat), as well as gift cards for the American Red Cross.
- Amazon gift cards for the Los Angeles Unified School District, to help replenish materials for teachers who lost their classrooms in the fire.
- Amazon gift cards for YMCLA, intended for the purchase of diabetic-friendly food, baby formula, reusable bags/grocery bags, luggage, and sleeping equipment (blankets, sleeping bags, inflatable mattresses) for on-site distribution.
- 1,000 items like water, beverages, electrolyte packets, and protein snacks to support various fire stations in the city of Los Angeles.
- More than 1,000 items for the fire brigades of the Malibu/Los Angeles community, aimed at supporting their efforts in containing and mitigating wildfires throughout the county.
- 13 pallets of ready-to-eat meals, baby food, canned proteins, and snacks to the Dream Center via Amazon Fresh and Amazon Local Good.
- Fresh protein from Amazon Fresh to a local restaurant to offer 1,000 meals to residents.
- Charging stations, water, and coffee from Amazon Fresh Stores to the communities of Encino, Ladera Heights, and Thousand Oaks.
- Food, water, non-perishable items, toiletries, and pet food from Whole Foods Market to the Venice Family Clinic, which will distribute these items to shelters and local partners via its Nourishing Our Neighborhoods truck.
The company has deployed its AWS cloud technology, including the use of drones, to assist emergency response teams in understanding and reacting to the dynamic evolution of the wildfires.
Amazon facilities closed due to fires in California
The company reported that, due to the wildfires devastating Los Angeles County, several of its facilities are temporarily closed. The reopening date will be announced as the situation evolves.
Will my Amazon orders be delayed due to the fires in Los Angeles?
Amazon acknowledged that the temporary closure of some of its facilities, combined with possible road damage, could cause some delivery delays.
The company mentioned that it will use its national storage and distribution network to process customer orders when it is safe to do so from outside the affected area.
In its statement, the company indicated that it will update delivery estimates as the impact of the wildfires becomes clearer, in order to provide customers with the most accurate information on the arrival of their packages.
“Customers will see updated delivery times for their specific orders and are advised to contact our 24/7 Customer Service teams for further assistance,” it said.
Damage from the fires in California
So far, a total of 24 deaths related to the wildfires have been reported. Additionally, approximately 13 million people are under a red flag warning for a “particularly dangerous situation,” indicating an extremely high risk of rapid fire spread.
The most affected areas include Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, Westlake Village, Simi Valley, San Fernando, Fillmore, and Pyramid Lake, where critical conditions due to strong winds are expected to intensify throughout the day.
How many wildfires are active in California?
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), one week after the wildfires began, these are the ones still active:
- Palisades Fire: 14% contained; 23,713 acres burned
- Eaton Fire: 33% contained; 14,117 acres burned
- Hurst Fire: 95% contained; 799 acres burned
- Auto Fire: 0% contained; 55 acres burned