As a Los Angeles resident, I’ve personally seen dozens of peers opening their doors to those in evacuation zones, fostering displaced pets, rushing to donate necessities, and doing whatever they can to spread the word about urgent resources—from local evacuation shelters and restaurants offering free food to ways to stay safe from smoke inhalation —all while monitoring wildfire apps like Watch Duty and preparing for their own potential evacuations.

Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes as a deadly brush fire in the Pacific Palisades grew to more than 20,000 acres this week and destroyed thousands of structures.

The two biggest fires devastating the Los Angeles area grew just slightly Friday as firefighters beat back the blazes that have killed at least 10 people, obliterated neighborhoods and left the nation's second-largest city on edge.