How businesses are helping residents and first responders affected by Los Angeles wildfires

Local businesses as well as national chains in the Los Angeles area are stepping up to help people affected by the devastating wildfires ravaging the area. Here’s where people can get support, from temporary shelter and shower facilities, to free Wi-Fi and telehealth appointments.

A place to rest and recharge

Planet Fitness on Thursday told CBS MoneyWatch the gym chain is opening dozens of its Los Angeles clubs “to anyone impacted” by the Los Angeles fires, including local residents and first responders. That means both members and non-members affected by the blaze may use Planet Fitness facilities, including showers, massage tools, Wi-Fi and electrical outlets free of charge. The offer is good until January 15, according to the company. 

“Planet Fitness is opening its doors to residents who have been displaced to provide them basic necessities such as showers and electricity, and first responders a place to help them feel supported and cared for between shifts,” the company said in a statement. 

Some Planet Fitness clubs are closed because of the fires, but the offer is valid at select locations that remain open for business. The following Planet Fitness centers in California will allow people to use their facilities so they can rest and recharge, according to the company. 

• Anaheim (West Katella Ave)
• Beaumont
• Bellflower
• Buena Park
• Carson (Lomita Blvd)
• Carson (Town Center)
• Cerritos
• Chatsworth 
• Chino
• Compton
• Corona (Grand Oaks)
• Corona
• Cost Mesa
• Covina
• Diamond Bar
• Downey
• Encino
• Fontana (Summit Ave)
• Foothill Ranch
• Fountain Valley
• Fullerton
• Garden Grove
• Granada Hills
• Hawaiian Gardens
• Hawthorne
• Hemet
• Hesperia (Bear Valley Rd)
• Huntington Beach (Goldenwest St.)
• Huntington Park
• Inglewood (Imperial Hwy)
• Inglewood (Manchester Blvd)
• Laguna Niguel
• Lake Elsinore
• Lake Forest
• Lancaster
• Long Beach (Cherry Ave, Downtown, Ximeno Ave)
• Los Angeles (Downtown LA, Mid City — W Washington, Washington and Hoover, Washington Blvd, Wilmington Ave)
• Lynwood
• Palmdale
• Moreno Valley
• Murrieta 
• Northridge
• Norwalk
• Ontario (E 4th St)
• Oxnard
• Orange
• Paramount
• Perris
• Pomona
• Rancho Cucamonga (Alta Loma)
• Rialto (S Riverside Ave)
• Rialto
• Riverside (Tyler)
• Riverside 
• San Bernardino (E. Highland and Sterling, S. Mt. Vernon)
• San Dimas
• Santa Ana (E Edinger)
• Santa Clarita
• Santa Fe Springs (Telegraph Rd)
• Simi Valley
• South Gate
• Studio City
• Temecula (Winchester Rd)
• Thousand Oaks (Westlake)
• Torrance
• Tustin
• Upland
• Van Nuys
• Victorville
• Whittier (Washington Blvd)
• Ventura

Fitness chain UFC Gym is similarly offering folks affected by the wildfires free access to its facilities, including locker rooms, showers, recovery services, Wi-Fi and more. 

The offer is good for its gyms in Brea, City of Industry, Corona, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, La Mirada, Oxnard, Rosemead and Torrance.

“We want to provide a safe, welcoming space for those in need during this difficult time,” UFC Gym CEO Adam Sedlack said in a statement Friday. “Whether it’s a place to recharge, take a shower, or simply find a moment of respite, we’re here to help our community members who are facing these challenging circumstances.”

Temporary shelter 

Airbnb.org, the home rental company’s charitable arm, is offering free temporary housing for residents who have been displaced or forced to evacuate their homes because of the wildfires. 

Stays, which are funded by the organization as well as through donations from Airbnb hosts, are free of charge for eligible guests. Many hosts waive the cost of stays completely or offer them at a steep discount, in the event of emergencies, through Airbnb.org.

Airbnb.org has partnered with 211 LA, which serves Los Angeles County. Fill out this form on 211 LA’s site to apply for free emergency housing support. 

To be eligible for free housing, applicants must have been displaced from their physical homes due to the fires, must reside in an evacuation zone, have an Airbnb account and be 18 or older.

Free food for first responders

Several restaurants and eateries are offering free food for the emergency personnel battling the fires, which have burned more than 45 square miles in and around Los Angles and put roughly 179,000 people under evacuation orders. 

Joe’s Pizza LA, which said on social media that all of its locations remain open, is offering free meals to firefighters and first responders. On Facebook, burger chain Shake Shack said its Los Angles County locations that remain open are also offering first responders free burgers through Sunday. 

Telehealth appointments

Santa Monica-based GoodRx, a prescription and health care provider, on Friday said it’s offering free online health care provider visits for people who might need quick access to essential medications they lost due to the wildfires, for example. The company added that it can also provide immediate treatment for a variety of conditions including the flu, and urinary tract infections. Angelenos can use the code LA-GOODRX-CARE for a free telehealth appointment through GoodRx Care. 

“As someone directly impacted by the LA fires and co-founder of a company built in the heart of Santa Monica, it’s important to me and everyone at GoodRx that we do our part to ensure those affected are able to access their medications and manage their health during this time,” said Doug Hirsch, co-founder of GoodRx. “We want anyone who has been displaced during the fires to be able to get the care they need, including emergency refills for medications that may have been damaged or left behind.”

Free wireless service

Mobile service provider Verizon is responding to the wildfires by waiving call, text and data charges for customers in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties through Jan. 18. It is also deploying free Wi-Fi and charging stations at wildfire shelters, the company said in a statement Friday.

Employers step up for workers

Employers are aiding their own workers in a variety of ways. Los Angeles-based law firm Quinn Emanuel has raised $500,000 to support staffers by helping those who have lost their homes relocate, and temporarily putting them up in hotels. The firm is also helping workers care for their children and pets, and file insurance claims. The company has closed its local office, allowing employees to work from home as the wildfires affect local air quality, and road closures snarl commutes.