Los Angeles California, a place known as the home of the infamous Hollywood Sign, Walk of Fame, Universal Studios, and the Santa Monica Pier is now known as a place that faced massive destruction due to all of the recent wildfires that impacted the areas of Palisades, Eaton, Hughes, The Border 2, Laguna, Gibbel, Sepulveda, and Clay.
Before all of the recent fires, California was known as the ‘sunshine’ state. Due to where the state is on the map, it is understandable that it would be called this. The vibrant culture and sunny weather are both reasons for the state’s nickname.
According to awanderingmind.life, ‘The early 20th century saw the rise of Hollywood, which played a pivotal role in promoting California as the sunshine state. Today, California continues to bask in its sunny reputation. The state is a popular tourist destination, attracting millions of visitors every year to its sun-kissed beaches, sprawling vineyards, and iconic landmarks.”
California has always been a place that draws people to visit and it has also drastically changed throughout the years. It has been a place where most celebrities have chosen to settle down with family. Well-known celebrities that live in California are The Kardashians, Beyonce and Jay-Z, Adele, Jennifer Aniston, Justin Bieber, and so many more.
In recent years, the state of California has been taken over by multiple fires, leaving a bad reputation and impression for people who want to live there. As fires swept throughout the state, most people lost valuable things. Sophomore Ayanna Bates feels sympathy for the people who lost everything.
“I feel like it’s just so devastating like so many people lost their houses from the fires,” Bates stated. “I feel like this whole thing could’ve been preventable.”
While 2024 was the worst year of fires, California has had other fires that have caused mild or major damage to cities that require millions of dollars to fix, something that is not cheap. Although it might be the Sunshine State, it has frequent fires that create a struggle for its population.
According to statistics from fire.ca.gov, so far there have been 39,624 emergency responses, 274 wildfires, 55,082 acres burned, 28 fatalities), and lastly 16,188 structures destroyed. to help rebuild it, multiple celebrities and big global companies have donated thousands of dollars to not only help LA, but all of California as well.
Celebrities such as Leonardo Dicaprio donated $1 million through his nature conservation, Re:wild, YouTube and Google also contributed $15 million, Beyoncé donated $2.5 million through her non-profit organization BeyGood, and other celebrities also contributed to the wildfires. Considering the ties these celebrities have to California it makes sense that they would donate, but Sophomore Ariana Ramirez has a different opinion.
“I think that this is partly a publicity stunt, but I also keep in mind that they also live in California,” Ramirez stated. “A big part of their donations are probably just because they care.”
Due to the recent budget cuts in California, they were low on firefighters which prompted them to recruit firefighters from different states. Freshman Abigail Gibson believes the firefighters did the best they could with the resources given.
“I feel like they could’ve done better. I feel like the fire could have been prevented if they really wanted it to be.” Gibson stated. “They could have improved by having more water in the hydrants. I feel like that could have helped.”
There are still some parts of California that are on fire right now, and everyone is pitching in to do everything they can to ensure that they stay safe. From the sunshine state to the state that has been destroyed, California will always be a place that is known for its vibrant livelihood.