The devastating 2025 LA wildfires that blazed through multiple neighborhoods in Los Angeles County including Palisades, Pasadena, Altadena, and Malibu have created a surprising but comforting sense of community among people from far and near.
When talking to Alex Castillo, police officer for the Los Angeles Port Police Department, he said, “Despite destruction and devastation from the SoCal FIRES the communities came together and have continued to assist each other with vital needs. Besides the local community members there’s been assistance from across the State of California.” All of the fires are now currently 100% contained.
Social media has connected people in multiple ways trying to help fellow Angelenos in this situation people are using social media platforms to spread information about the fires, and people have also been fundraising on social media as well. This tragedy is bringing all of LA County closer together as they support one another during this difficult time trying to stay positive.
In LA on Jan. 30, 2025, FireAid hosted two concerts at two different locations to fundraise for rebuilding the communities that got affected by the fires. Taking place at the Intuit Dome and the Forum, these concerts brought together the city for a night of music and support. To read more about the FireAid Benefit concert, read Ian Henriquez’s story here.
The Palisades fire burned more than 20,000 acres of land including part of their local high school Palisades Charter High School. No students were hurt by the fire at their high school since none were at the high school when the fire started. Students are currently doing virtual learning and according to their Instagram the Palisades relocation team are making final arrangements to secure an alternate location for now and are hoping to be back on campus in the fall of 2025. Pali High School hopes to have their class of 2025 graduation on their home football field which was one of the least impacted areas of their school.
Castillo added, “The communities have become closer because they are in the same uphill battle of rebuilding their neighborhood,” he was part of the team helping homeowners identify their homes and what was left of them and assisting with locking down neighborhoods in the evacuation zones. As a first responder, he also saw the way our community has helped one another.
LA County is slowly rebuilding from all the effects of the fires with the support of all Angelenos, people outside of the county, and all around the world. We’re thankful for all the first responders that contributed to putting out the fires and helping people regroup afterwards.
Andrew Barrios • Mar 7, 2025 at 7:01 pm
Croff describes the impact that the LA fires had on the community. I like how she emphasizes that the community actually became stronger after as they all are having the same difficulties from the aftermath. Croff interviews an LA police officer to help give an accurate update on what’s happening in the LA community. I think she does a great job in describing the aftermath of the fires. I also like how she includes positive things that are happening like fundraising through social media. Many people have been holding fundraisers on social media to help support victims of the fires. She also does a great job on what happens to the school. Although the school burned down, they are still planning on holding the graduation ceremony on the football field, which Croff says is mostly undamaged. All in all, I think Croff does an excellent job at providing information about the aftermath of the LA fires.
Demir Guven • Mar 6, 2025 at 1:14 pm
On March 3rd, Emma Croff wrote an article titled, “La Fire Recovery”. Throughout the article she provides useful information about how LA is recovering from the multiple fires that happened earlier this year. Croff goes on to interview one of the police officers Alex Castillo from the Los Angeles Port Police Department who goes on to say, “Despite the destruction and devastation from the SoCal Fires the community came together to assist each other with vital needs.” By implementing this officer’s quote in her article it shows a sense of credibility throughout the text. Croff then goes on to explain how over 20,000 acres of land were destroyed during the fire including parts of the Palisades Charter High School. Thankfully no students were hurt. Croff then goes on to state that the high school is planning to have their class of 2025 graduation on their home football which was least impacted during the fires. To conclude, the article does a great job explaining the effects the fires had on the LA area.
Patrick Chhay • Mar 5, 2025 at 3:25 pm
On March 3, 2025, Emma Croff wrote an article titled “LA Fire Recovery”. The article does an excellent job at reassuring the audience that the LA area is now safe and that all of the fires are contained. The reason the article does a great job of these is because they include and use evidence from a person of authority. They get this information from Alex Castillo who is a police officer for the Los Angeles Port Police Department. Castillo ensures that all the fires are under control and now the entire community is coming together to help recover. This information is believable because it comes from someone who we believe has authority and is on the front lines.
A certain suggestion is for the author to gain the opinion or information from a person in the community that has been affected by the wildfire. This would build the author’s credibility because not only do they have information from a local authority, but someone has experienced the effect of the fire first.
Sincerely,
Patrick Chhay
Payton Kelly • Mar 5, 2025 at 3:20 pm
On March 3, 2025, staff reporter Emma Croff wrote the article titled “LA Fire Recovery”. I was immediately intrigued by the title, due to the proximity the fires had occurred in as well as my curiosity over the steps being taken to recover from these devastating fires. This article presented facts that I was unaware of prior to reading, such as the fact that the fires are presently one hundred percent contained. I’d like to note that it is engaging to hear from a first-hand individual with the inclusion of the interview with LAPD police officer Alex Castillo. I additionally like how Croff interweaved Ian Henriquez’s related article about the FireAid Benefit concerts, and included the link for curious readers.
Though an interesting read, I was hoping this article would be longer. I feel that this article vaguely brushed the tip of the iceberg about the recovery process of the recent Los Angeles fires. I think the inclusion of an additional community’s recovery process besides the Palisades Charter High School would have made this article more engaging. Lastly, I have a few questions about the two photos interweaved in the article. At what locations were these photos taken? At what date? These are notably quality photos that display the wreckage, but the vague descriptions leave me both confused and feeling unconnected.
Overall, Croff’s article on the recovery of the Los Angeles fires was both informative and appealing. I’m glad that the Corydon is covering topics such as this one that are both relevant to our community and important to learn about.
Sophia Salazar • Mar 5, 2025 at 2:46 pm
On March 3, 2025, Emma Croff wrote an article titled “LA Fire Recovery”. Croff’s exploration of the LA wildfires is through a positive lens, acknowledging the sense of community that these unfortunate events have fostered. Moreover, Croff’s reference to the two concerts that were created to fundraise for families that have lost their homes and communities to the wildfires, showcases the kindness and good that is out in our world. By revealing these kinds of examples, it makes my heart warm at the thought of humans coming together to support those that are suffering during devastating times.
Additionally, the information presented within this article makes me think back to when COVID-19 was first announced to all schools, forcing us to resort to online learning because it was unsafe to return. It brings me sorrow to know that these kids have not only had to relive those years now but that seniors cannot spend their last year on campus. Furthermore, the content of Croff’s article connects back to COVID-19 through the displaying of helping hands all around. Like in the pandemic, people have been offering resources and shelter to those that lost some, or all of what they had.
In brief, Croff’s article accurately sums up the reality of the impact the wildfire’s had on LA County. The sweat, blood, and tears of firefighters who worked to put out the vast field of fires does not go unnoticed within her article as well. I look forward to seeing more of Croff’s work in the future, perhaps on the recent immigration implementations and controversies.
Jordan Guzman • Mar 5, 2025 at 2:45 pm
This article is a perfect addition to the Millikan Corydon to engage the Millikan readers in an unfortunate event, the LA fires. Emma Croff does a great job including the affected high school, Palisades Charter High School.
The article begins with introducing the multiple neighborhoods including the Palisades, Pasadena, Altadena, and Malibu. The article highlights the use of social media to connect with the Los Angeles community and help one another. The main focus of the article is to acknowledge the unbelievable aftermath of the fires. Croff continues to provide a comprehensive overview of the recent wildfire outbreak that has devastated large communities.
Furthermore, Croff interviews police officer for the Los Angeles Port Police Department, Alex Castillo. Croff does a wonderful job highlighting the heroic efforts of firefighters and emergency personnel who have been working tirelessly to keep the LA community safe. On top of that, the use of images and descriptive language helps to convey the severit of the fires and the emotional toll.
The strenghts of the article is its clear and concise presentation of facts about the containment of the fires. The article also does a commendable job of highlighting the community’s response, highlighting the resilience and solidarity of the firefighters and police offiiciers in the face of disaster. Overall, the article does a great job providing a detained and engaging acount of the LA fires.
Charlie Warner • Mar 5, 2025 at 2:11 pm
On March 3, 2025, Emma Croff wrote an article titled “LA Fire Recovery.” The article brought to attention the devastating Los Angeles wildfires that tormented the homes and lives of thousands of LA residents at the beginning of the year 2025. Throughout the article, Croff highlights several contrasting themes born from the destruction of the fires. On one hand, people lost their lives, homes, loved ones, and even pets. LA continues to mourn these losses through various methods, as Croff stated. The author went as far as to interview a local police officer, Alex Castillo, to get some insight into the aftermath of the wildfires. In doing so, she learned that while the aftermath of the fires left grave damages to LA and its residents, it also prompted opportunities for unity and community building. For instance, Croff highlights that social media platforms have been used to start fundraising platforms to help those affected by the wildfires. Additionally, FireAid hosted concerts at the Intuit Dome and the Forum to collect fundraising donations. Reading about Palisades Charter High School and its unfortunate destruction as a high school student made me appreciative of my opportunities here at Millikan. Fortunately, the students will be safe and will learn virtually until relocation arrangements for the campus can be made. “LA Fire Recovery” incorporates the benefits and adversities that come from natural disasters by employing contrasting themes such as devastation and solidarity. I enjoyed Croff’s article, which is concise and impactful because it demonstrates that through hardship, people can come together and rebuild something bigger and better.
Melanie Castorena • Mar 5, 2025 at 1:44 pm
On March 3, 2025, Emma Croff wrote an article titled “LA Fire Recovery”. This article brings awareness to the damages brought by the recent 2025 LA fires, and how the community has set aside their differences to help those around them. Croff goes into detail about the areas that were impacted and how the people in those communities feel. The direct message from Alex Castillo, a police officer from the Los Angeles Port Police Department, shares how not only the communities have assisted each other, but the State of California as well.
My favorite feature of Croff’s article is the way she spoke about the use of social media and its impact on spreading awareness about the fires. Croff mentions, “Social media has connected people in multiple ways trying to help fellow Angelenos in this situation people are using social media platforms to spread information about the fires…” This piece of the article really accentuates the fact that even if people are not able to physically, they are using their resources to help in any way possible. The readers are able to learn about the true intensity of the fires and the different ways that they might be able to help.
Cienna Rydman • Mar 5, 2025 at 1:34 pm
This article does an outstanding job in informing the readers about the devastating fires going on in LA. Since this event is so close to us, it is important to be aware of how it is impacting our environment and our community.
One really impressive aspect of this article is the use of emotional appeal in the very first picture. Placed right underneath the title, it gives a relative idea of how impactful these fires have been and produces an importance of writing about this topic. Furthermore, Croff gains information from a primary source from these fires, by interviewing a police officer right there in the Los Angeles Port Police Department. It was very clever of her to go straight to someone who has been in direct contact with these fires and would for sure have the information she needs to write this particular article. Lastly, the way this article is structured is absolutely perfect to the events that the writer is talking about. Croff starts each topic she writes by presenting the problem and giving information about it to the readers. Then she continues to describe how people involved plan to come up with a solution and the variety of ideas they have. Ending with stating the most impactful solution, leaving the reader with satisfaction of getting informed with the entire topic.
One small aspect I would critique or add to this article would be to get the perspective from people who were directly impacted by the fires in LA. In addition to the police officer, it would be nice to hear from the school itself or the families that were impacted to get more appeals to the reader.
All in all, this article does an excellent job in explaining how much the first responders and everyone in the community is working together to recover as best as they can from the LA fires.
Emily Watkins • Mar 5, 2025 at 10:54 am
This article is about the aftermath of the LA wildfires and how regardless of the devastation these fires left, communities still came out to support one another.
Croff interviews a police officer from the Los Angeles fire department, Alex Castillo, who was involved in helping people identify their homes and assisted in locking down neighborhoods in evacuation zones. In this interview, Castillo mentions how communities are coming together to help each other which has brought them closer together since they are all in the same boat of trying to rebuild their neighborhoods. I found this interview comforting because it is nice to know that people are helping each other during such a sensitive time and that they aren’t going through this alone.
Croff goes on to mention how the Palisades fire burned part of the Palisades Charter High School. None of the students got hurt, but they were unable to return to school so they have been doing virtual learning. I could never imagine having to go back to online learning like when the covid-19 pandemic hit, which makes me feel sad for the students at this school having to go through something similar again.
Overall, this article was enjoyable to read, especially knowing that the residents of LA county are staying strong and are supporting each other. I think it is important for everyone at Millikan High School to read this article to see how the people affected by the LA wildfires are doing.
Raquel Martin • Mar 5, 2025 at 9:32 am
On March 3, 2025, Emma Croff wrote an article titled “LA Fire Recovery”.
This article provides a useful update to the readers and ways the community is recovering. Croff uses an LAPD officer to get an update about the communities affected and give her article credibility. She also shares that social media has been an amazing source for people to get in touch and fundraise. The author does a great job explaining how the community has been fundraising, like donations and concerts. These communities are growing and connecting because they share the same uphill battle to build back their neighborhoods.
In a different segment she does a wonderful job focusing on one of the schools affected by the fire. She gives vital information about what they are currently doing to continue getting an education and what their plans are for the future. She describes how the students are currently online, and when the seniors graduate they want it to be on the field since it wasn’t harshly affected by the fire. Overall, she did an amazing job at connecting different topics and giving us information about the people affected.
Sophia Ackerman • Mar 5, 2025 at 9:27 am
On March 3, 2025, Emma Croff wrote an article titled “LA Fire Recovery”. This article covers the specific neighborhoods in which the LA wildfires affected and how they’ve changed surrounding communities. The author goes into detail about a conversation had with a police officer for the Los Angeles Port Police Department, Alex Castillo. This interaction with such a reliable source gives her article credibility when describing how communities came together to support and assist one another, as well as receiving aid from the State of California.
The article then goes on to show how social media has been such a big part when connecting people through this trying time. It was utilized to not only spread information about the fires, but also to fundraise. An example of this fundraising is the concerts hosted by FireAid, taking place at the Intuite Dome and the Forum, ultimately raising money while also bringing communities closer together.
In addition, Croff speaks on how the fires burned 20,00 acres of land including Palisades Charter High School. Although no students were hurt, they are not allowed to return to campus and are currently learning virtually with hopes of returning to campus in the fall of 2025. It then covers another statement from Alex Castillo talking about the “uphill battle of rebuilding”. Although this is an impressive and reliable source, I think it would have added effectiveness if a firefighter who was there in person helping contain these fires made a statement. In Conclusion, LA County is putting their efforts together, along with support from those all over the world. and are slowly rebuilding their lives.