Leonardo DiCaprio has announced that he is donating $1m to the Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts.
Hundreds of families have been displaced by the fires that claimed 25 lives since breaking out in the Altadena and Pasadena areas.
The Oscar winner confirmed on his social media that he was donating $1m in partnership with his organisation Re:wild, with funds going to support “both urgent needs and post-fire recovery efforts”.
Leonardo DiCaprio announces $1 m pledge towards Los Angeles wildfire relief efforts (Instagram/Leonardo DiCaprio)
“The Los Angeles wildfires are devastating our city,” the Killers of the Flower Moon star wrote in his Instagram stories on Wednesday.
“I am committing $1m in partnership with @rewild’s Rapid Response Program to support both urgent needs and post-fire recovery efforts. Initial aid will immediately benefit the LA Fire Department Foundation, California Fire Foundation, World Central Kitchen, California Community Foundation, Pasadena Humane Society and SoCal Fire Fund – organizations providing much-needed resources to our first responders and firefighters, and the people, animals and communities who need it most.”
Find all live updates on the California fires here
The actor, who grew up in Los Angeles, joins a number of celebrities and companies that have donated to relief efforts.
Beyoncé pledged to donate $2.5m (£2m) through her non-profit organisation BeyGOOD, to help those who lost their homes and possessions. Eva Longoria, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Christopher Guest, have all pledged $1m each.
The Walt Disney Company and Warner Bros Discovery pledged $15m each towards relief and rebuilding efforts, while studios Paramount and Fox Corp donated $1m apiece. Amazon, Comcast, and Netflix too have committed $10m apiece, while YouTube and Google also announced $15m in aid.
Promoter Live Nation is planning a benefit concert in Inglewood, CA. Dubbed “FireAid”, it is set to take place at the Intuit Dome on 30 January.
Meanwhile the Grammy Awards, which will be held in Los Angeles on 2 February, will likely include a number of tributes and fundraising efforts for the city and its music community.
An aerial view of hillside homes which burned in the Palisades Fire (Getty Images)
Stoked by strong Santa Ana winds, the fires have destroyed thousands of structures including homes, businesses and vehicles.
At least 25 people have died, including former child star Rory Sykes; the death toll is expected to rise as search efforts continue.
The Palisades Fire has torn across nearly 24,000 acres and is 19 per cent contained. The Eaton Fire is 45 per cent contained after burning more than 14,000 acres.
Pop stars and Hollywood actors are among the many people whose homes have been lost in what California governor Gavin Newsom described as the worst natural disaster in US history.
