The ongoing wildfires in communities across Los Angeles County is creating unprecedented challenges for our communities—but they’ve also given us an opportunity to rebuild stronger and smarter. This call to action is dedicated to crafting innovative, interdisciplinary strategies for recovery, resilience, and sustainable development.
I am inviting professionals from diverse fields—urban planning, architecture, environmental science, engineering, public health, sociology, and beyond—to share their expertise and ideas. Together, we can create solutions that not only address immediate recovery but also lay the foundation for a safer, more resilient future.
Join me in this response for the recovery of Los Angeles. Share your insights, recommend resources, and help the LA planning community during this challenging time.
I am inviting professionals from diverse fields—urban planning, architecture, environmental science, engineering, public health, sociology, and beyond—to share their expertise and ideas. Together, we can create solutions that not only address immediate recovery but also lay the foundation for a safer, more resilient future.
Join me in this response for the recovery of Los Angeles. Share your insights, recommend resources, and help the LA planning community during this challenging time.
The Process
- Please fill out this form with your feedback.
- I will synthesize all comments by January 18, 2025.
- I will provide a draft of the compendium of ideas to key members of the urban/city/regional planning community via my involvement with the American Planning Association and/or other affiliates.
- The document may be published soon after.
- I may organize a webinar to discuss findings.
Should you have any questions or comment or want to join me in forming an ad hoc action team, please e-mail me at [email protected]
Thank you for your consideration,
Miguel Angel Vazquez, FAICP
Stay strong LA!
Thank you for your consideration,
Miguel Angel Vazquez, FAICP
Stay strong LA!
RELEVANT RESOURCES
DONATIONS
Link from Carlo Chunga Pizarro. Here is his message via LinkedIn:
If folks near the area, or want to donate, here's a link of all the mutual aid organizations in the area making food, taking donations, helping out anyway we can: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1KMk34XY5dsvVJjAoD2mQUVHYU_Ib6COz6jcGH5uJWDY/htmlview?usp=sharing
Obtained from Jonathan Pacheco Bell's LinkedIn post:
We have friends who lost everything in the Eaton Fire. We are donating to their GoFundMe pages. Feel free to DM me if you would like to donate and also see this resource from Renée Reizman tracking GoFundMe’s after the LA fires. Thank you for any help 🙏🏼
Fire Fundraisers
Link from Carlo Chunga Pizarro. Here is his message via LinkedIn:
If folks near the area, or want to donate, here's a link of all the mutual aid organizations in the area making food, taking donations, helping out anyway we can: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/u/1/d/1KMk34XY5dsvVJjAoD2mQUVHYU_Ib6COz6jcGH5uJWDY/htmlview?usp=sharing
Obtained from Jonathan Pacheco Bell's LinkedIn post:
We have friends who lost everything in the Eaton Fire. We are donating to their GoFundMe pages. Feel free to DM me if you would like to donate and also see this resource from Renée Reizman tracking GoFundMe’s after the LA fires. Thank you for any help 🙏🏼
Fire Fundraisers
SHELTER
Submitted by Laurie Schoeman via LinkedIn
As California endures wildfires fueled by high wind activity, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is coordinating with the California Department of Social Services and local governments to ensure impacted communities have access to hashtag#shelters and hashtag#vital services.
https://news.caloes.ca.gov/shelters-available-for-communities-impacted-by-wildfires-in-los-angeles-county-2/
Submitted by Laurie Schoeman via LinkedIn
As California endures wildfires fueled by high wind activity, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) is coordinating with the California Department of Social Services and local governments to ensure impacted communities have access to hashtag#shelters and hashtag#vital services.
https://news.caloes.ca.gov/shelters-available-for-communities-impacted-by-wildfires-in-los-angeles-county-2/
FUNDING
Wildfires burning in the Los Angeles County region have destroyed hundreds of homes and left tens of thousands evacuated. Our Philanthropy California Climate and Disaster team is closely monitoring this crisis, and philanthropic response funds are currently activated to support immediate response and recovery in impacted communities.
Please find vetted response funds on Philanthropy California's 2025 Disaster Response page: https://buff.ly/4abwVKL
Additional Resources:
⭐ County of Los Angeles – Latest emergency updates and alerts: https://buff.ly/2U3ziJQ
⭐ Los Angeles Fire Department – Latest fire alerts: https://buff.ly/4h7HJMm
⭐ CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) – Monitor wildfire activity: https://buff.ly/2OkNFY9
⭐ CA Wildfire Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center – Monitor wildfire activity: https://buff.ly/3RdO3pW
⭐ Caltrans Quickmap – Monitor updated road closures and travel advisories: https://buff.ly/3xqdKKy
⭐ National Weather Service – Updated weather conditions: https://buff.ly/2XSEami
⭐ Cal OES News – Latest news and updates from Cal OES: https://buff.ly/4j5C3UP
hashtag#Wildfires hashtag#Disaster hashtag#ResponseFund
Wildfires burning in the Los Angeles County region have destroyed hundreds of homes and left tens of thousands evacuated. Our Philanthropy California Climate and Disaster team is closely monitoring this crisis, and philanthropic response funds are currently activated to support immediate response and recovery in impacted communities.
Please find vetted response funds on Philanthropy California's 2025 Disaster Response page: https://buff.ly/4abwVKL
Additional Resources:
⭐ County of Los Angeles – Latest emergency updates and alerts: https://buff.ly/2U3ziJQ
⭐ Los Angeles Fire Department – Latest fire alerts: https://buff.ly/4h7HJMm
⭐ CA Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) – Monitor wildfire activity: https://buff.ly/2OkNFY9
⭐ CA Wildfire Forecast and Threat Intelligence Integration Center – Monitor wildfire activity: https://buff.ly/3RdO3pW
⭐ Caltrans Quickmap – Monitor updated road closures and travel advisories: https://buff.ly/3xqdKKy
⭐ National Weather Service – Updated weather conditions: https://buff.ly/2XSEami
⭐ Cal OES News – Latest news and updates from Cal OES: https://buff.ly/4j5C3UP
hashtag#Wildfires hashtag#Disaster hashtag#ResponseFund
VOLUNTEERING
Submitted by Matt Petersen via LinkdeIn
Looking to help? This is a great list of opportunities to support our firefighters as well as help those that have lost their homes or been displaced.
Thank you Los Angeles Times for the critically important coverage and helping people during this horrific climate disaster.
Submitted by Matt Petersen via LinkdeIn
Looking to help? This is a great list of opportunities to support our firefighters as well as help those that have lost their homes or been displaced.
Thank you Los Angeles Times for the critically important coverage and helping people during this horrific climate disaster.
OTHER
Petition for Immediate Action to Address Firestorm Catastrophes in Los Angeles County
Various Links from Morena Strategies
Resources for Californians Impacted by Los Angeles Fires
Tracking Fires in LA
Wildfire Aware
Updates from the Governor
Disaster Assistance Guide by the American Institute of Architects (New York State)
Resources and message provided by Leila Hakimizadeh, AICP, LEED AP via LinkedIn
My heart is with friends and coworkers in southern California who have been evacuated, lost their homes, or have witnesses a loved one being impacted by the recent wildfires. I wanted to share a few planning related resources from our office:
Fire Hazard Planning Technical Advisory: Provides guidance on how local jurisdictions develop and incorporate policies and implementation programs in their general plans. It also provides guidance on integrating general plans with other relevant hazard and risk reduction policies, plans, and programs in conformance with State laws.
https://lnkd.in/gf6aittB
Wildland-Urban Interface Planning Guide: Assesses how local agencies across California can leverage plans, regulations, and additional tools to reduce risk in wildfire-prone areas.
https://lnkd.in/gfdGm-fZ
Draft Evacuation Technical Advisory: Guides cities and counties in their efforts to update the safety element of their general plans pursuant to the evacuation requirements mandated by SB 99 (2019), AB 747 (2019), and AB 1409 (2021).
https://lnkd.in/gfdGm-fZ
Plan Alignment Toolkit: This toolkit includes Wildfire Resilience, Flood After Fire, and Coastal Hazard Resilience Plan Alignment Toolkits. Plan alignment and integration help protect communities from the threat of climate change such as wildfire, increasing temperatures and extreme heat, sea level rise, drought, and the compounding impacts of flood-after-fire events.
https://lnkd.in/gWWUp9tG
The Adaptation Clearinghouse: This is a centralized library of information and over 1000 California-specific resources for adapting to climate change. Public Resources Code 71360 (Senate Bill 246, 2015) established the Clearinghouse to support holistic, science-based climate resilience decisions, planning, and projects across local communities, regions, and the State.
https://resilientca.org/
Vulnerable Communities Platform (VCP): The VCP is a web-hub that can assist community advocates, local governments, legislators, and the State in identifying the populations most vulnerable to the impacts of worsening extreme heat, flooding, sea level rise, drought and wildfire due to climate change in California.
General Plan Guidelines Update: LCI is statutorily required to adopt and periodically revise the State General Plan Guidelines (GPG) and is slated to update the GPG (timeline 2024-2027). The upcoming update will provide best practices on how to integrate climate change -- including priorities pertaining to wildfire mitigation and resiliency -- in all elements of the general plans.
Climate Action Plan Technical Advisory (timeline 2024-2026): LCI is collaboration with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to create a Climate Action Plan Technical Advisory for local government and professionals. The Technical Advisory will include an assessment of wildfire impacts.
https://www.lci.ca.gov/docs/20220817-Fire_Hazard_Planning_TA.pdf
hashtag#wildfireplanning hashtag#wildfire hashtag#wildfireadaptation hashtag#wildfireresilience hashtag#evacuationplanning hashtag#CAwidlfire hashtag#californiawildfiret.
Resources provided by Kelly King via LinkedIn
Yesterday our family joined the hundreds (thousands?)* who lost a home to the Eaton Fire. While we are heartbroken, we are incredibly grateful that we are all safe, and that we had the opportunity to build so many memories there.
If you saw today’s LA Times article with dramatic before and after photos, you saw our neighborhood. Almost none of the homes, businesses, parks, or places of worship survived. Even the fire station is gone.
After years of helping to manage disaster response funds, including for previous fires in Southern California, I’m reminded of this guidance from Mr. Rogers:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
We continue to find pockets of hope, especially in the many, many helpers.
If you’re looking to help, below are some of the organizations and funds that are providing critical support at this time.
The Pasadena Boys and Girls Club opened right away to provide drop-in care for children. Schools are closed, and I don’t assume we’ll be able to open safely for some time in our community. This is a critical resource. We often forget that some of the nonprofits that serve students and families every day are the first to set up in at times like this and need our support too.
https://lnkd.in/gyJU78zD
The Pasadena Educational Foundation in collaboration with Pasadena Unified has reactivated its pased.org/responsefund. Contributions will help address immediate needs and ensure resources reach our schools and families as they navigate this crisis.
Like my own children, we expect that a huge share, if not the majority, of the students who attend the schools in our neighborhood to have lost their home. We’re going to continue to look for ways to support these young people and educators.
The Foundation for the Los Angeles Community Colleges, which I lead, has set up a fund to support community college students and educators in LA.
https://lnkd.in/g6sVKNjF
The Pasadena Community Foundation has opened the Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund to support immediate and longer term needs.
https://lnkd.in/gTcyQ53d
California Community Foundation, where I worked previously, activated the Wildfire Recovery Fund, They have done an amazing job over the years building the infrastructure for disaster response philanthropy.
https://lnkd.in/gvW8UTXM
Philanthropy California’s Disaster Response Page lists vetted funds and resources.
https://lnkd.in/g4gVe7mH
*update: 4,000 to 5,000 structures are estimated to be damaged or destroyed in the Eaton fire, so that’s tens of thousands of people without a home. And that’s just one of the fires.
Various Links from Morena Strategies
Resources for Californians Impacted by Los Angeles Fires
Tracking Fires in LA
Wildfire Aware
Updates from the Governor
Disaster Assistance Guide by the American Institute of Architects (New York State)
Resources and message provided by Leila Hakimizadeh, AICP, LEED AP via LinkedIn
My heart is with friends and coworkers in southern California who have been evacuated, lost their homes, or have witnesses a loved one being impacted by the recent wildfires. I wanted to share a few planning related resources from our office:
Fire Hazard Planning Technical Advisory: Provides guidance on how local jurisdictions develop and incorporate policies and implementation programs in their general plans. It also provides guidance on integrating general plans with other relevant hazard and risk reduction policies, plans, and programs in conformance with State laws.
https://lnkd.in/gf6aittB
Wildland-Urban Interface Planning Guide: Assesses how local agencies across California can leverage plans, regulations, and additional tools to reduce risk in wildfire-prone areas.
https://lnkd.in/gfdGm-fZ
Draft Evacuation Technical Advisory: Guides cities and counties in their efforts to update the safety element of their general plans pursuant to the evacuation requirements mandated by SB 99 (2019), AB 747 (2019), and AB 1409 (2021).
https://lnkd.in/gfdGm-fZ
Plan Alignment Toolkit: This toolkit includes Wildfire Resilience, Flood After Fire, and Coastal Hazard Resilience Plan Alignment Toolkits. Plan alignment and integration help protect communities from the threat of climate change such as wildfire, increasing temperatures and extreme heat, sea level rise, drought, and the compounding impacts of flood-after-fire events.
https://lnkd.in/gWWUp9tG
The Adaptation Clearinghouse: This is a centralized library of information and over 1000 California-specific resources for adapting to climate change. Public Resources Code 71360 (Senate Bill 246, 2015) established the Clearinghouse to support holistic, science-based climate resilience decisions, planning, and projects across local communities, regions, and the State.
https://resilientca.org/
Vulnerable Communities Platform (VCP): The VCP is a web-hub that can assist community advocates, local governments, legislators, and the State in identifying the populations most vulnerable to the impacts of worsening extreme heat, flooding, sea level rise, drought and wildfire due to climate change in California.
General Plan Guidelines Update: LCI is statutorily required to adopt and periodically revise the State General Plan Guidelines (GPG) and is slated to update the GPG (timeline 2024-2027). The upcoming update will provide best practices on how to integrate climate change -- including priorities pertaining to wildfire mitigation and resiliency -- in all elements of the general plans.
Climate Action Plan Technical Advisory (timeline 2024-2026): LCI is collaboration with Cal Poly San Luis Obispo to create a Climate Action Plan Technical Advisory for local government and professionals. The Technical Advisory will include an assessment of wildfire impacts.
https://www.lci.ca.gov/docs/20220817-Fire_Hazard_Planning_TA.pdf
hashtag#wildfireplanning hashtag#wildfire hashtag#wildfireadaptation hashtag#wildfireresilience hashtag#evacuationplanning hashtag#CAwidlfire hashtag#californiawildfiret.
Resources provided by Kelly King via LinkedIn
Yesterday our family joined the hundreds (thousands?)* who lost a home to the Eaton Fire. While we are heartbroken, we are incredibly grateful that we are all safe, and that we had the opportunity to build so many memories there.
If you saw today’s LA Times article with dramatic before and after photos, you saw our neighborhood. Almost none of the homes, businesses, parks, or places of worship survived. Even the fire station is gone.
After years of helping to manage disaster response funds, including for previous fires in Southern California, I’m reminded of this guidance from Mr. Rogers:
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.”
We continue to find pockets of hope, especially in the many, many helpers.
If you’re looking to help, below are some of the organizations and funds that are providing critical support at this time.
The Pasadena Boys and Girls Club opened right away to provide drop-in care for children. Schools are closed, and I don’t assume we’ll be able to open safely for some time in our community. This is a critical resource. We often forget that some of the nonprofits that serve students and families every day are the first to set up in at times like this and need our support too.
https://lnkd.in/gyJU78zD
The Pasadena Educational Foundation in collaboration with Pasadena Unified has reactivated its pased.org/responsefund. Contributions will help address immediate needs and ensure resources reach our schools and families as they navigate this crisis.
Like my own children, we expect that a huge share, if not the majority, of the students who attend the schools in our neighborhood to have lost their home. We’re going to continue to look for ways to support these young people and educators.
The Foundation for the Los Angeles Community Colleges, which I lead, has set up a fund to support community college students and educators in LA.
https://lnkd.in/g6sVKNjF
The Pasadena Community Foundation has opened the Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund to support immediate and longer term needs.
https://lnkd.in/gTcyQ53d
California Community Foundation, where I worked previously, activated the Wildfire Recovery Fund, They have done an amazing job over the years building the infrastructure for disaster response philanthropy.
https://lnkd.in/gvW8UTXM
Philanthropy California’s Disaster Response Page lists vetted funds and resources.
https://lnkd.in/g4gVe7mH
*update: 4,000 to 5,000 structures are estimated to be damaged or destroyed in the Eaton fire, so that’s tens of thousands of people without a home. And that’s just one of the fires.
Art by Margaret Garcia, 2nd Premonition, 2017. On display at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art and Culture of the Riverside Art Museum. Photo by Miguel A. Vazquez
DISCLAIMER: This effort is not affiliated with any organization (for the time being). It is my personal response based on my lived experience, abilities, expertise and beliefs.
DISCLAIMER: This effort is not affiliated with any organization (for the time being). It is my personal response based on my lived experience, abilities, expertise and beliefs.