L.A.'s firestorm: Foodservice operations are navigating challenges and offering community support

Six devastating wildfires ignited across Southern California, starting Tuesday, leaving devastation in their paths. Now, five of those fires are still active, ranging from 3% contained to 75% contained as officials continue to address the disaster.

As of Friday Jan. 10, ten people have been confirmed to have lost their lives due to the wildfires. On Jan. 9, officials with the County of Los Angeles Medical Examiner’s office confirmed the ten deaths and said they are working to identify the individuals, according to a statement.

Over 35,000 acres have been set ablaze throughout the state with over 10,000 buildings and homes destroyed, according to the California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection. By Jan. 10, 153,000 Los Angeles residents are under active evacuation orders, with 166,000 residents under warnings, said Los Angeles County officials in a press conference on Jan. 10.

On Wednesday, President Biden approved California Gavin Newsom’s request for a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration, which makes federal assistance funding to help cover emergency response costs, available.

The effects of these wildfires have been disastrous as Southern California residents lose their homes, businesses are destroyed or shut down and people are injured. And the impact of these fires is only beginning to be felt as the state has a long road ahead as officials will continue to face lingering challenges once the fires have been contained.

Foodservice operations in California quickly jumped into action as the fires began and it’s clear that the on-site dining industry in California will face a myriad of challenges as the fires continue to take a toll on the state.

This disaster will likely leave an economic impact on some operations, as they limit or shut down services and deal with the damage of the fire. Some operations have temporality closed, some were evacuated and ultimately some were even destroyed.

One pressing challenge for the industry is that at many operations diners live onsite, making evacuation and relocation of residents difficult. This is especially true of senior living communities and hospitals, which also have to take into consideration that they are serving a vulnerable population who may be at higher risk of health issues associated with the fires.

Many healthcare operations have evacuated their sites, with the unique challenge of ensuring their residents still have access to proper healthcare. News outlet LAist reported that the California Department of Public Health had confirmed that more than 35 senior-living facilities were evacuated, by Thurs. Jan. 9. Some residents were transferred to nearby facilities, however hundreds of people were sent to public evacuation shelters.

Senior living company Human Good was forced to evacuate several of its facilities while other locations sheltered in place. In an update posted on Jan. 10, the company said that some of its locations have been confirmed safe and residents are preparing to return this weekend.

“We are also continuing to support our team members in the regions impacted by the wildfires as well,” the company said in a statement. “At this time, our teams continue to focus on providing care and services tonight and into the weekend for our displaced residents and team members.”

Some healthcare systems are staying open, however, as they play a vital role in providing treatment for those injured by the fires. Adventist Health, for instance, closed some operations, like its Urgent Care, but its hospitals remains open.

“My heart goes out to those impacted by the wildfires across L.A. County. I’m thankful that, at this time, our local hospitals remain open and fully operational, ready to provide care and support to those in need,” said Kerry Heinrich, CEO of Adventist Health, in a post shared to LinkedIn.

While some operations, like Adventist Health, are preparing to welcome residents back to their communities, others are facing an uncertain future. On Jan. 8, senior-living community At the Terraces at Park Marino, in Pasadena, evacuated their residents, some of them in wheelchairs or hospital beds, reported ABC News.  However, merely hours later, the entire building was destroyed by flames.

And LAist reported that two other senior living facilities in the Pasadena area have also been destroyed by the fire.

The healthcare industry is not the only segment of on-site dining that is feeling the impacts of these fires either.  Some companies in the sports and entertainment segment, for instance, have postponed or relocated events. The NBA postponed a game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Charlotte Hornets and the NFL relocated a game between the Vikings and Rams.

And foodservice operations serving schools have certainly been impacted as well. Los Angeles Unified School District (LASUD ) temporarily closed six schools beginning Wednesday and on Thursday closed all of the schools in the district.

LASUD has been vigilant in assisting its community members, particularly for the families who may be impacted by the school closure. The school district teamed up with the YMCA on a no-cost child care program for children of essential workers who have been affected by displacement or property loss.

And the school district is ensuring families have access to food— at 16 sites throughout the district, LASUD students can pick up two free meals a day.

Several colleges and universities, including California Institute of Technology, California Sate University, Los Angeles and Santa Monica College have also cancelled classes or hosted them remotely. As of Jan. 10, it doesn’t appear that any college are under evacuation orders or have been damaged by the fires, however there are other concerns.

“While there remains no immediate fire danger to our campus, given an expected change in wind patterns in the hours ahead, it is likely that the air quality in Westwood will worsen,”  said Julio Frenk, chancellor at the University of California, in a statement.

 UCLA limited campus operations, cancelled undergraduate classes and moved graduate classes to a remote format for Thursday and Friday.

The university has also made efforts to offer community support by offering free meals and welcoming employees who have been impacted by the fires to stay on campus.

While this disaster is far from over, officials say they are making progress on containment. In a press conference on Jan. 10, Don Fregulia, the operations section chief with the California Interagency Management Team 5, said he expects to make significant progress on containment of one of the fires on Friday.

“We’re really diligent about what we’re doing in there and we want to continue those efforts as the days progress,” he said during the conference. “We realize that there’s a lot of work in here, and it’s going to take many, many days for us to get through all the damage that has occurred here in the front country, so we ask for patience.”

Los Angeles National Weather Service was expecting moderate to strong winds on Jan. 10 with the fire threat mainly focused in LA and Ventura counties. In a post shared to Facebook, they also warned that the state should expect more challenges, noting that offshore winds will continue into early next week, peaking on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday. There is also a 50% chance of Red Flag conditions on Tuesday and Wednesday.

“Continue to practice fire safety by avoiding work that creates sparks, report any smoke, and stay informed. Gather items you will need, should you be evacuated. Be safe everyone,” said the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, in the post.