Embers whip across the ground as homes burn during the Eaton fire in Pasadena, California on January 7, 2025. Josh Edelson, AFP
MANILA — Nearly 150 Filipinos have been affected by the wildfires wreaking havoc in Los Angeles, an official said on Monday.
Speaking on ANC, Los Angeles Consul General Adelio Angelito Cruz said the Filipinos were sheltering in different evacuation centers, adding authorities were "trying to help them find long-term housing since most of them have been displaced by the fires."
The Filipinos were among those who had to undergo mandatory evacuation as the fires ripped through Los Angeles in California, which have left at least 24 dead.
Cruz said they were reaching out to Filipino-American organizations to help fire victims find new employment.
TIMELINE: Devastating California wildfires in January 2025
He noted that "a number" of Filipinos affected by the fires were "undocumented" and that "a few... have barely minimum insurance."
But California authorities "don't actually care whether you're documented or undocumented," he said.
"If you need help, if you need medical assistance, they will provide and they will assist."
Strong winds return to whip up Los Angeles fires
Cruz was authorized by the Department of Foreign Affairs to extend emergency assistance worth $200 to "every Filipino initially affected by the wildfires and we can move on from there."
Wildfire-ravaged Los Angeles confronted the return of dangerous winds on Monday, as officials vowed firefighters were ready to combat any new blazes whipped up by furious gusts.
Firefighters race to beat LA blazes as winds grow and death toll hits 16
—with a report from Agence France-Presse
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