Lady Gaga Visits With Wildfire Shelter, Speaks With California Fire Evacuees
Lady Gaga made a special appearance at a Red Cross shelter at Pacific Palisades High School, TMZ is reporting. Many California residents have been forced to evacuate their homes due to the raging wildfires, Gaga among them. On Sunday, November 11, the singer surprised evacuees at a shelter and cheered them up by taking photos and handing out gift cards. Gaga even shared a very special moment with a 98-year-old, serenading the older evacuee. In addition, Gaga gave a rousing, inspirational speech to the displaced Californians.
“I extend my love… I know we do not know each other, but I love you. This is an emergency, but you are not alone,” she said. “Let’s keep the faith, together.”
Gaga also encouraged those at the shelter to take advantage of the mental health services that were being made available, urging others to “share your stories and talk to each other during this time.” According to People, this is certainly a traumatic time for many — 31 people have been officially reported as deceased, and over 200 people are still unaccounted for. As of Saturday, the Woolsey fire had burned through 70,000 acres in Ventura and Los Angeles Counties. In addition to the Woolsey fire, the Hill fire has also raged simultaneously, burning down thousands of acres. Then there is the Camp fire, which is reportedly the largest out of all of the blazes — having destroyed at least 100,000 acres of land.
The fires can be attributed to high winds, low humidity, and dry vegetation. Firefighters are struggling to contain the fire amid the winds that are helping it to spread. Gaga documented her evacuation process via her Instagram Story, where she shared photos of what appeared to be smoke almost entirely concealing the sky. The singer took to Twitter, where she expressed that she was praying for “everyone who is suffering today from these abominable fires & grieving the loss of their homes or loved ones.” She also thanked “fire fighters, police, first and emergency responders” for their heroism.
Many celebrities have also been sharing their experience with the fire on their social media accounts, with some stars like Miley Cyrus and Gerard Butler losing their homes entirely. Various people in the entertainment industry are encouraging the public to donate money and supplies to the organizations aiding the containment of the fire. The Kardashian family even dedicated their People’s Choice Award to those courageously fighting off the fire in their acceptance speech.
As for Gaga, she reportedly volunteered around 90 minutes of her time to meet with those who had to evacuate due to the tragic situation.
