It has been an unprecedented and devastating week of news in the Los Angeles area.
As of this morning, Monday, January 13, wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area have consumed over 40,000 acres of land, forcing 150,000 people to evacuate and taking the lives of at least 24 others. It spread to numerous fires around Los Angeles – including the Hurst Fire north of San Fernando, the Eaton Fire north of Pasadena and the Palisades Fire west of Santa Monica…Washington Post. informs that in the coming days there is a risk of fires spreading due to persistent sturdy winds.
Los Angeles is home to one of the greatest coffee scenes not only in America, but in the entire world. And although the quality of coffee in Los Angeles is one of the main advantages of this place, it is the human element, the people who make up the community, that drive the scene and they are the victims of the fires. Despite this, the café is often a local gathering point. Cafes will remain open where other businesses have closed, will offer drinks and food, and will act as donation centers.
This is an ever-changing situation, requiring evacuation orders, security levels and other unforeseen elements. We spoke with coffee professionals from across Los Angeles to get first-hand accounts of their experiences, as well as how people can aid in their recovery efforts.
“The last time I was in our store was on Wednesday. When I got out of the car, the whole city was filled with the smell that you feel when you stand over a vast grill where a lot of meat is burning to a crisp.” give up founder Bobby Roshan told Sprudge. “It was demanding to breathe.” The Santa Monica Cafe is located in an evacuation warning zone, and although it tried to remain open to serve the public, Roshan ultimately decided to close the cafe and roastery. “We felt it would be irresponsible to put staff at risk, let alone breathe toxic air.”
This sentiment is shared by much of the Los Angeles area. “Even where I live in Venice, although currently far enough from the flames, the air quality is terrible” – Nicely Abel from Barbed states. “Ash falls from the sky.” Meanwhile, further inland, GlowThree downtown Los Angeles coffee shops have managed to avoid any damage so far, but they are still dealing with the consequences. “It was unsafe to be outside due to the CO2 levels and the falling ash entering the cafe. Sometimes it feels like an apocalypse,” says founder Thom Ifergan. Although not in an evacuation zone, Dayglow was nevertheless forced to close temporarily to allow staff to evacuate if necessary or simply not be able to breathe hazardous air.
Still, some cafes are sheltered enough to stay open and are offering aid in any way they can. Cafes like Mother in Santa Monica, Wolf’s brewed coffee in Long Beach, I wish you were here in Pomona and MaruAll locations in Beverly Hills, Los Feliz and the Arts District offer free coffee and groceries to first responders. “Honestly, it’s really crazy here [I’m] I’m not sure what to think about all this,” the Maru people tell Sprudge. “It’s amazing to see the city come together so quickly to provide support. On the other hand, it is devastating that people are losing their homes. These are our friends and colleagues.”
Others in the industry are looking for different ways to aid. Canyon Coffee in Echo Park has set up a donation drive with blankets, sleeping bags, pillows and chargers, and has established a relief fund – including a $10,000 donation from an anonymous donor – to the foundation California Community Fund. Similarly, Civil coffee uses its Los Angeles-area locations as collection points for donations of necessary items such as toiletries, diapers, bottled water, etc., and also donates 10% of gross revenues from cafe sales to various relief efforts.
Oat milk production Oats from the Ghost Town and co-founder Michelle Johnson exploit their services Instagram platform as a collection point to share resources for those affected by the fires. “A good coffee friend in Asheville, North Carolina, who experienced Hurricane Helene and the ongoing recovery from it, warned me yesterday that during massive disasters like this there is a phase of spreading misinformation,” states Jaymie Lao, coach of USBC champion Frank La. “Finding real information has been a challenge, and for me the most reliable news outlets on how the fires are moving and contained are primarily NPR, the Watch Duty app and, unfortunately, looking out the window.”
Lao continues: “I don’t know when the fires will be completely suppressed, but it’s clear that aid will continue through most of 2025. I think if there’s anything people can do to aid, it would be to make financial donations to mutual aid organizations or if I can’t donate funds by volunteering to aid these relief centers.”
For those outside of Los Angeles who want to aid, some of the suggested collection points listed by the cafes include the California Community Fund, a foundation Fire Reconstruction Fundand Eaton Canyon Relief Fund. Other institutions verified by NBC News switch on: California Fire Foundation, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, Pasadena Humane Society, Ventura County Community Foundation, American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles, Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Direct reliefAND Central Cuisine of the World. If you can, please consider making a donation.