Wildfires rage in southern California. Thousands of homes have burned. Officials told about 150,000 people in Los Angeles County to evacuate. Sadly, at least 24 people have died.

Several large fires started on January 7. Some smaller fires also broke out later in the week. Strong winds spread the flames. The winds slowed over the weekend. Weather forecasters say those winds will pick up again Monday night and Tuesday. 

This is a terrible disaster. But we can be thankful that many people are trying to help. 

Firefighters are working hard. They have contained some of the fire. (That means that they have limited how much fire can spread.) Crews from nine other states and Mexico came to help. More than 14,000 firefighters are using 1,400 fire engines and 84 aircraft.

Vanessa Prata is a nursing student. She and her family didn’t want to leave their neighborhood. She saw many people doing what they could to help those who lost their homes. They donated food, clothing, household goods, and pet supplies. Taco trucks offered free meals.

Vanessa and her father posted on social media. They volunteered to check on peoples’ homes for them. They updated dozens of people. Some homes were still standing. More had burned.

Arianna Buturovic watched fire approach the animal shelter she runs outside Los Angeles. 

“I stuffed 15 dogs in a black Prius and two cats,” Buturovic says. She still had nine more dogs and a pig. She flagged down some 18-year-olds with a truck. They agreed to take them to another shelter. 

“That’s how we evacuated almost 30 animals,” she says. “It was crazy.”

Pray for Californians who have lost loved ones, homes, and workplaces in the fires. Ask God to give strength, wisdom, and protection to firefighters and officials.