The Adobe Foundation is donating $1 million (approximately £820,00 / AU$1.6 million) across the California Community Foundation: Wildfire Recovery Fund and the Entertainment Community Fund to help with damage caused by the recent wildfires in Los Angeles, California.
In a statement, Adobe describes it as “heart breaking to see the devastation unfolding in Southern California as wildfires continue to ravage the region,” noting that the software company has “a deep connection to Los Angeles, with many employees, partners and creative community members living in the area.”
It adds: “Los Angeles is a global hub of creativity, shaping culture and redefining industries. It’s home to countless artists, filmmakers, designers and innovators – too many of whom have lost their homes, studios and equipment.”
Adobe also promises to match public donations to these “incredible organizations” at 100%.
Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, the wildfires erupted on January 07 and tore across Los Angeles, killing at least 27 people and injuring many more.
The Palisades Fire grew to cover 23,713 acres and likely damaged more than 5,000 structures, with the Eaton Fire coming shortly afterwards, exploding over 14,021 acres and destroying more than 10,300 structures.
The fires are currently somewhat under control, but predicted high winds could see them stoked up again. The main battle for the residents of Southern California will now be with the insurance companies.
Owners of damaged or destroyed property have been left unsure whether insurers will pay out. The ongoing fires could become the most expensive natural disaster in terms of insured losses in California history, with analysts estimating that losses could approach $20 billion (£16 billion / AU$32 billion).
Al Jazeera reports that private forecaster AccuWeather estimates total damage and economic loss between $250 billion (£203 billion / AU$399 billion) and $275 billion (£224 billion / AU$439 billion).
Before the wildfires broke out, insurance groups started canceling home insurance policies in areas known to be susceptible to fires. In July 2024 California’s largest insurer, State Farm, dropped roughly 1,600 policies for homeowners in Pacific Palisades, meaning that 69.4% of its insurance policies in the county were not renewed.
A report published on January 09 2025 by online marketplace LendingTree estimated that 806,651 homes in California are uninsured, of the 7.6 million homes in the state.
In Los Angeles, 154,108 homes are uninsured out of the 1.5 million homes, meaning 1 in 10 homes are uninsured in the county, LendingTree estimated.
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