Response Updates – January 2026
- DRS provided a grant of $15,000 to the Pacific Palisades Long-Term Recovery Group (LTRG). This grant helped the LTRG to strengthen their organizational capacity by hiring an administrative assistant.
- DRS provided 2 grants totaling $30,000 to the Los Angeles Region Community Recovery Organization (LARCRO). LARCRO has used these funds to establish a regional long-term recovery group to support long-term wildfire recovery efforts and to support staff salaries for ongoing administrative support.
- DRS sent local volunteers in the greater Los Angeles area to volunteer with Hope Crisis Response Network for one-day volunteer opportunities. These volunteers cleaned homes that have been uninhabitable due to smoke remnants.
- In 2026, DRS is sending one-week volunteer teams to partner with Hope Crisis Response Network to repair homes for fire-affected families. Read about a volunteer’s journey making an impact in Altadena.
Immediate Release – January 10, 2025
World Renew Disaster Response Services (DRS) plans to organize a response to multiple wildfires sweeping across Southern California that began on Tuesday, January 7. Currently, five named fires are active in Los Angeles County with an additional fire already contained.
World Renew DRS will coordinate with officials and other voluntary organizations to plan a response to assist survivors of the January wildfires. World Renew DRS prioritizes assisting homeowners who are uninsured, elderly, low income, or otherwise unable to recover from a disaster on their own. The organization will prepare to help residents as the threat is brought under control and response agencies gain access to destroyed areas.
“As we see the damage and destruction left in the wake of these wildfires, our hearts go out to those affected by this crisis. World Renew DRS will provide recovery assistance for survivors once it is safe to do so,” said Garry Mayhew, head of humanitarian & emergency affairs at World Renew. “We pray for containment of the fires and safety for the firefighters working tirelessly to defend the affected communities.”
Beginning on Tuesday, January 7, small embers in the western area of Los Angeles, California, quickly spread into a 200-acre wildfire. Over the next few days, a combination of wind and dry conditions caused multiple fires that have damaged homes and land in the California coastal area. As of Friday morning, 34,000 acres have burned, and more than 200,000 residents are facing mandatory evacuation orders. At least ten people have died as residents reportedly face the worst fire threat in Los Angeles history.
Bring Help, Hope, and Lasting Recovery
Your support helps World Renew DRS respond quickly and compassionately when disasters strike. Our North American disaster response efforts equip trained volunteers, local partners, and communities with the resources needed for clean-up, rebuilding, and long-term recovery—especially for those who are most vulnerable and unable to recover on their own. As disasters become more frequent and severe, your gift ensures DRS is prepared not only to meet urgent needs today, but to walk alongside families in the months and years ahead as they rebuild their homes and restore hope. Thank you for your support.
