SpaceX, Apple, Airbnb And More Companies Pitch In To Support California Residents After Wildfires: 'We Want To Help'

Companies in California and across the United States are pitching in to help consumers dealing with wildfires in the state.

What Happened: Wildfires in California have forced thousands of people to be evacuated from their homes as wildfires led to power outages and damaged properties, marking one of the potentially highest costing events in state history for the insurance industry.

Companies are pitching in to help consumers by delaying payments, offering free services and providing necessities like places to stay and food.

Here's a look at a portion of the companies offering help:

SpaceX: The company is providing free Starlink terminals to areas near Los Angeles impacted by the wildfires, CEO Elon Musk announced Thursday. The tweet came with a local media reporter sharing that they were using Starlink to be able to provide live coverage with a lack of cell service in the area.

Sweetgreen SG: The restaurant chain's co-founder Nicholas Jammet shared a video on LinkedIn saying the company was hoping to provide food to as many people impacted by the wildfires as possible.

"We want to help, we want to feed as many people as possible," Jammet said in the video.

Starbucks SBUX: One Starbucks location was destroyed by fires in the area, Bloomberg reported. Another location handed out coffee and food to first responders to help in the efforts.

Target Corporation TGT: The retailer said is was fast-tracking critical supplies to stores near Los Angeles to help get necessary supplies to first responders and customers quicker.

Kroger KR: The retailer lost a location in the Palisades region from the fires. The retailer is also giving food and water to people in the fire-impacted areas.

Albertsons ACI: The retailer is also giving food and water to first responders in the wildfire areas.

Lyft Inc LYFT: The ride-share company announced it was offering free and discounted rides to and from shelters for impacted California residents.

"Lyft is committed to providing access to reliable transportation, especially in emergencies to support communities in need," Lyft Social Impact Manager Celia Moreno said.

U-Haul UHAL: The moving and storage company is offering 30 days free storage at 92 facilities located in Southern California for those impacted by the wildfires.

"People are hurting and in need of help. U-Haul is part of these communities, and if we can help our neighbors in this process, we are going to do so," U-Haul area district vice president Chris Piedra said.

Apple Inc AAPL: The technology giant is providing temporary relief for Apple Card users in the Los Angeles area, allowing people to postpone payments without interest, as reported by Bloomberg writer Mark Gurman. Apple CEO Tim Cook also announced the company will be donating to help in the wildfire efforts.

"Thank you to the incredible firefighters, first responders, and all those assisting for your heroic efforts. Apple will be donating to support the victims and recovery efforts on the ground," Cook tweeted.

Tesla Inc TSLA: The electric vehicle company announced it was forgiving Autopilot and FSD Supervised strikes to people in California to provide them with more options when evacuating the region.

Planet Fitness PLNT: The gym chain is offering its locations to first responders and local residents in the impacted areas as a place to shower and charge devices through January 15, as reported by CBS News.

Airbnb ABNB: The house rental's Airbnb.org charitable arm is helping find free temporary housing for people who had to evacuate their homes.

Toyota TM: The automotive company announced it would offer payment relief options to those impacted by the wildfires and is also matching donations from U.S. employees made to nonprofits like The American Red Cross.

AT&T T: The telecommunications company waived overage charges and is offering unlimited talk, text and data through Feb. 6, 2025 to customers in the impacted areas.

T-Mobile TMUS: The telecommunications company providing free Wi-Fi and device charging at some retail stores in the area as well as Wi-Fi at command posts. The company is also offering unlimited talk, text and data to customers in the impacted area through Jan. 15.

DoorDash DASH: The food delivery company offered $150,000 in community credits to first responders and organizations on the ground in the impacted regions, allowing people helping with the efforts and displaced from their homes to get food and essential supplies quickly. The company is providing relief grants for local restaurants through the Restaurant Disaster Relief Fund. A total of $250,000 is also available through the Dasher Relief Fund for eligible drivers in the region impacted by the fire.

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