As the destructive Los Angeles, California wildfires continue to burn, a group of nearby ski areas, Big Bear Mountain Resort, has stepped in to help.
The aid program, created in partnership with Visit Big Bear, Big Bear Mountain Resort, and local lodging operators, offers discounted accommodations and meal vouchers for LA County evacuees.
Visit Big Bear’s website includes a list of participating lodging operators, many of whom run Airbnbs. The meal vouchers apply to restaurants at Snow Summit and Bear Mountain. Evacuees who reserve lodging within the Big Bear Valley can obtain four vouchers valued at $25 each.
Per an Instagram post sharing news of the partnership, Big Bear Mountain Resort will continue to operate as planned. For more information about the Visit Big Bear partnership and the resources available, click here.
Photo: Courtesy Big Bear Mountain Resort
Airbnb.org and 211 LA are also working together to connect those displaced by the fires with free, temporary housing. These stays are funded by Airbnb and Airbnb hosts, many of whom have offered up their homes for free or at discounted rates. More information is available at 211 LA’s website.
The organization warns that “due to the high volume of requests for Airbnb.org emergency housing support, wait times for a response will be long. We are working as quickly as we can to respond.”
As of Friday, January 10th, the Eaton and Palisades fires in the Los Angeles area remained uncontained, per Cal Fire’s incident map. The smaller Kenneth, Hurst, and Lidia fires were still burning, too.
The flames erupted on Tuesday, spurred by dry conditions and high winds, NBC News reports. At least ten have died, hundreds of homes have been destroyed, and more than 150,000 people were under evacuation warnings.
“This is looking worse and worse the more information we get,” climate scientist Daniel Swain told NBC News.
Speaking with the Associated Press, meteorologist Rich Thompson said that Friday and Saturday could see a break in the Santa Ana winds. However, Thompson also said that this break may be brief, with the arrival of more winds expected Sunday and into next week.
The LA County blazes follow an active summer fire season in Southern California. Just outside Los Angeles, Mt. Baldy Resort was forced to close temporarily as the Vista Fire approached its boundaries in July. Then, in September, Mt. Baldy Resort suspended operations again due to the Bridge Fire.
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