LA wildfires, one year later: how $265 million is helping a “marathon” recovery
One year ago, devastating wildfires in Los Angeles forever changed thousands of lives. In a matter of hours, homes were destroyed, neighborhoods were reduced to ash, and families were forced into an uncertain future.
In the days that followed, an extraordinary wave of generosity on GoFundMe rose to meet the moment. Now, one year later, that generosity is still helping people move forward.
As the fires swept through Los Angeles, millions of people around the world showed up in extraordinary ways – organizing, donating, sharing, and offering a lifeline to those who needed it most. Since January 7, 2025, more than $265 million has been raised on GoFundMe to support people and communities affected by the fires, thanks to over one million donors from all 50 states and more than 160 countries.
This includes more than $8 million raised through GoFundMe.org’s Wildfire Relief Fund, which provided over 7,500 direct cash grants to people who were affected. This overwhelming generosity helped families secure temporary housing, replace essential belongings, and begin the long process of rebuilding.
In fact, January 10, 2025 became the most generous day of the year worldwide on GoFundMe. Together, more than 75,000 people donated to support teachers whose classrooms and materials were lost, and over 20,000 donations helped small business owners work toward reopening or staying afloat.
While the flames are long extinguished, the reality of a long recovery remains.
“We’re starting all over again”
For Terica Roberts and her family, the fire didn’t just destroy their home, it upended their sense of stability. Her 10-year-old son, Grayson, who is blind, lost nearly everything in the Eaton Fire. Thousands of donors rallied around the family, raising more than $350,000 to help them recover.
Nearly a year later, the Roberts family is still waiting for a permit to rebuild. Still, the support they received has helped them navigate a complex and uncertain year.
Once it’s finally approved, we’re told it could still take another 8–12 months to rebuild our home, assuming there are no delays. We will have to start paying our mortgage again in January on top of paying rent. Your support truly has made a difference, and it will help us tremendously when it comes time to rebuild and bridge the gaps that insurance won’t cover.
At 97 years old, Louvenia Jenkins never imagined she would be starting over. After losing the home she had owned for more than 70 years – where she was the first Black female homeowner in her neighborhood – hundreds of donors rallied to help Jenkins, raising over $60,000, which helped her secure an apartment.
I’m grateful to have a stable place for the moment. Still, I never expected to be rebuilding my life at 97… I’m starting all over again with nothing, at an age when most people are resting… Your donations have helped me maintain dignity, stability, and a sense of comfort after losing everything I had built over a lifetime. You have helped me stand on my own two feet again, and I am deeply grateful. If you are able, I humbly ask for your continued support and for you to share this fundraiser with your communities. Every bit of help makes a difference and allows me to continue facing this next chapter of the few years left of my life with health care, security, and hope.
Rebuilding a community
While thousands of homes were destroyed, recovery across Los Angeles has also meant restoring the places that bring people together: schools, sporting facilities, and shared community spaces.
In Altadena, rebuilding has taken a community-led approach. Through a partnership between the Altadena Town Council and GoFundMe.org, the Altadena Eaton Fire Relief Fund has raised more than $550,000, providing over 500 direct cash grants to residents facing urgent needs. These grants have helped families stabilize while navigating next steps, from securing housing to deciding whether rebuilding or relocation makes the most sense.
For families, educators, and students, recovery has also meant rebuilding routines, classrooms, and a sense of normalcy.
One of the hardest-hit schools was Pasadena Waldorf School, whose Altadena campus was completely destroyed in the Eaton Fire. In the months since, the school has been able to continue teaching thanks to more than $285,000 raised on GoFundMe to help with recovery and rebuilding costs.
Many months later, we are thrilled to announce that our Mariposa Campus has officially been cleared and signed off by LA County for permitting, once we are ready to take next steps… Meanwhile, our nearby Mendocino Street campus is undergoing extensive remediation and repair, with a goal of returning to Altadena next fall, if possible.
Recovery has also taken shape in unexpected places, including youth sports. After many young athletes lost their equipment and access to play, Dayton Gilbreath of Palisades Breakers Lacrosse started a GoFundMe to help ensure players could maintain a sense of normalcy by staying connected to the sport they love by replacing lost gear. The effort quickly became about more than lacrosse, it was a way to restore community.
Through continued practices, games, and shared experiences, the program has helped families find moments of normalcy and connection during a difficult year. Gilbreath wrote on GoFundMe,
What began as a relief effort became a day of healing…Your donations helped us provide essential supplies, connect displaced families, and create a space where our community could come together during an unimaginably difficult time.
More help is still needed. For many, mortgage payments have resumed, insurance coverage has expired, and rental prices continue to climb.
Nonprofits continue critical work
To help offset these harsh realities, many nonprofits are continuing their critical work on the ground. All Hands & Hearts is leading a year-long recovery effort in LA County to support wildfire-affected communities through smoke remediation, donation-distribution support, and community-capacity building. By working alongside trusted local partners, they’re helping ensure a coordinated, community-led recovery. To date, more than 16,000 people have accessed vital food and non-food items and over 140 families can now safely return home or access their belongings with smoke remediation completed.
The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank also continues its work to fight hunger and support communities impacted by the wildfires. While many families lost their homes, countless others were also affected in less visible but significant ways. The Food Bank remains committed to helping everyone directly or indirectly impacted by the disaster, as well as anyone in need of food or nutrition assistance across the region.
How you can help
The wildfires may be a year behind us, but for thousands of survivors, recovery is still ongoing.
Families are rebuilding, schools are planning their return, and communities are finding their footing, with the help of continued generosity.
Your support can help sustain that momentum. Whether you give, share a fundraiser, or help amplify these stories, you’re helping ensure survivors aren’t left to navigate recovery alone. Visit gofundme.com/lawildfires to learn more and support ongoing recovery efforts.
Together, we can keep showing up, long after headlines fade.