When two devastating wildfires swept through Los Angeles in early 2025, they left destruction on a massive scale. Thirty-one people were killed, more than 18,000 structures were destroyed, and property losses were estimated at up to $131 billion. Families across Pacific Palisades and Altadena fled for their lives, and many returned to find their homes gone.
To respond, celebrities and philanthropists came together for a five-hour benefit concert on January 30, 2025. The event, called FireAid, was modeled after Live Aid in the 1980s and promised to deliver direct relief to fire victims. With performances by Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder, Sting, Lady Gaga, Rod Stewart, and many others, the concert raised more than $100 million in a single night. Donors were told their money would go directly to help families in need. Actor Samuel L. Jackson told viewers, “All the money will go directly to people who need help in the short term and the long-term effort to get this city back on its feet.”
Now, months later, fire victims say they never received the promised help. Investigations show that much of the money was sent instead to nonprofits that limit aid to certain racial groups or to undocumented immigrants.
How FireAid Raised and Promoted the Funds
The Annenberg Foundation and billionaire Steve Ballmer, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, helped organize the concert. Promotional material repeated the claim that “all proceeds aid displaced families and fire prevention initiatives.” Hosts like Miles Teller reassured donors that every dollar would go directly to victims. Viewers watching at home were encouraged to open their wallets with the assurance that their donations would provide “direct relief” to those who lost homes and loved ones.
But after the event, FireAid admitted something very different. The group told a Fox affiliate in Los Angeles, “FireAid does not have the capability to make direct payments to individuals and that was never the plan. We partnered directly with trusted local non-profits…to reach communities in need.”
Where the Money Went
A Breakdown of Where the Money Went
By mid-2025, FireAid had distributed $75 million to 188 nonprofits, with another $25 million scheduled for later in the year. The following recipients have drawn the most attention:
- Greenline Housing Foundation – $4.8 million
Greenline’s website states it focuses on helping “Black or Hispanic” applicants only. While it later claimed “anyone is welcome to apply,” the official language excludes White families from receiving support. - Black Freedom Fund – $7.6 million
In a 2023 proposal, the group pledged to only support organizations “led and controlled by Black people” and “primarily serving Black people.” This raised questions about whether White wildfire victims could receive any benefit at all. - Alliance for a Better Community – $5.9 million
This group’s “Fuerza Fund” focuses on “immigrant and undocumented families.” Its mission is to “confront the fear caused by raids and displacement” rather than fire recovery, though FireAid money was routed through it. - Pasadena Humane Society – $250,000
One of the few organizations directly tied to fire consequences, it used the money to treat pets and animals harmed by the wildfires. - LA Regional Food Bank – $1.25 million
Provided food for thousands of families, many of whom were displaced or economically impacted by the fires. - The Change Reaction – $2 million
Distributed direct financial assistance to 2,500 individuals. Critics note that these distributions may not have been tied strictly to fire victims. - Inclusive Action – $2.5 million (including prepaid cards)
Handed out $500 cards to over 5,000 displaced street vendors, landscapers, and day laborers. Director Rudy Espinoza said, “Seventy-four percent of the assistance was spent on groceries and food.” - Alliance of Boys and Girls Clubs, YMCA, and Meals on Wheels – various grants
Provided childcare, food, and mental health services. These programs, while helpful, were not targeted to wildfire survivors specifically. - Legal Aid Groups – Multiple grants
Bet Tzedek, Public Counsel, and the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles received money to help with FEMA appeals, insurance paperwork, and replacing destroyed documents. - Team Rubicon – $250,000
A veteran-led disaster relief group used its funding for debris removal and flood prevention.
Other donations went to organizations tied to social causes, such as promoting “self-determination in the Latino community” or “civic engagement and multigenerational power building.”
Voices of the Victims
For many survivors, the revelations have been devastating. David Howard, who lost two homes in Pacific Palisades, told Fox News, “I have not seen any benefit from the FireAid money, and I am very involved here and neither have my neighbors.”
Mark Jones, a resident of Altadena who also lost his home, recalled what he felt when watching the concert. “My house is gone,” he told the crowd during the event. Six months later, he said he expected help but never received any. “I did, and I am sure with most Altadenians. The FireAid was for us. So, we figured where is the money? Where is it going?”
The Pacific Palisades Community Council echoed these frustrations in a formal letter to FireAid’s organizers. Signed by community leaders who lost their homes, the letter asked for a full accounting of all funds and warned that many local residents were left without meaningful support.
FireAid’s Defense
In response to mounting criticism, FireAid’s leadership defended their approach. Spokesman Chris Wallace explained, “As a newly formed 501c3, FireAid does not have the capability to make direct payments to individuals and that was never the plan. To deliver aid into the community, we partnered directly with trusted local nonprofits who have the capacity to reach the communities in need, to provide food security, housing, and resources for schools.” He added that “a stipulation of the funds was that not a single dollar was spent on administrative costs.”
FireAid also said its process involved “local outreach, feedback from those directly affected, and collaboration with nonprofit organizations embedded in fire-impacted neighborhoods.” The group has promised that an independent review and a full report from accounting firm KPMG will be released to the public.
The Criticism: Racism and Betrayal
Despite these assurances, critics see the distribution of money as discriminatory and a betrayal of donors. Congressman Kevin Kiley declared, “We’ve learned that of the $100 million raised at the celebrity FireAid concert, none actually went to LA fire victims. Instead the money went to nonprofits, many that have nothing to do with fire relief. I’ve asked Attorney General Pam Bondi to open an investigation.”
Kiley argued that the public was misled. “Tens of thousands of people donated, raising $100 million for what they were told was direct relief. Now we have learned that this money didn’t go to the victims at all.”
Conservative commentators and fire victims alike have accused FireAid of practicing racial favoritism. Some argue that by funding groups that explicitly exclude White families, FireAid turned a humanitarian disaster into a racially divisive episode. “They decided only Black and Brown people count as victims,” one critic said. “That’s not relief—that’s discrimination.”
The controversy has become a political flashpoint. President Donald Trump weighed in on Truth Social, accusing Governor Gavin Newsom of letting FireAid donations be diverted to “politically connected nonprofits” instead of fire victims. Online, the issue has spread rapidly, with thousands of donors demanding answers and wildfire survivors calling for accountability.
FireAid insists it has done nothing wrong and that donors’ money is helping communities in need. But for victims who lost everything, the reality is that the promised direct aid never came. As one editorial summarized, “Americans’ generosity should not be the second victim of this tragedy.”
FAM Editor: This is woke-ism at its worst, blatant racism in the face of one of the worst disasters in California’s history.
