Los Angeles evacuation shelter volunteer shares firsthand experience as victims flee Palisades Fire: 'People were disoriented, grappling with the reality of losing their homes'

Southern California is still reeling after experiencing one of the most devastating natural disasters in its history. The Palisades and Eaton Fires, among others, ravaged Los Angeles County communities and forced thousands to evacuate — leaving many without homes and buildings in ruin. The devastation has prompted many members of the community to get involved and give back.

Gialina Morten, a local resident who volunteered at one of the evacuation shelters, opened up about her experience assisting those displaced by the disaster, providing a unique glimpse into the human impact of wildfires as well as the community's response.

Morten described the early days of the fires as harrowing. "The first night was really scary," she said, adding that she lived just outside the evacuation zones. "It's jarring, because it feels like COVID, but it's even more cognitive dissonance, because everyone else in the world is [still] living their lives … and we're here hunkered down."

Located just 10 minutes from an evacuation center, Morten initially decided to volunteer to combat her restlessness, given the hazardous air quality, while also being able to make an impact.

She signed up on the Red Cross' volunteer page, showed up the next day, and they let her volunteer. 

While she didn't know what to expect, Morten said her tasks at the shelter were straightforward yet impactful, ranging from distributing food and water to helping organize supplies. 

"It was just as you'd imagine, with cots all over the gymnasium," she said. "People were disoriented, grappling with the reality of losing their homes, and unsure of their next steps."

Something that stuck with Morten was how many elderly evacuees there were, especially those who lost their homes that were either owned outright or rent-controlled. Some were non-English speakers, which added another layer of hardship for those victims. 

"My heart broke for them. Dealing with insurance companies in these circumstances requires so much finesse," Morten said, highlighting how natural disasters can further leave vulnerable populations at a disadvantage.

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She also noted the visible involvement of the Red Cross Youth Corps. "They're wonderful," she said. "It's cool to see young people making such an impact."

For Morten, the work at the shelter was fulfilling, but it also underscored a greater need for better infrastructure to address disasters.

She mentioned how difficult it was initially to figure out how to get involved while also emphasizing there's an absence of a clear pipeline for untrained volunteers to step up during disasters.

"I wanted to do more," she said. "I'm healthy enough to be as close to the fires as I can get without the proper training." 

Morten's experience also serves as a reminder of the compounding challenges caused by our changing climate. Both the Palisades and Eaton Fires were fueled by a combination of dry conditions — prompted by L.A.'s driest winter since the 1960s — and Santa Ana wind events, leaving residents wondering how Southern California will adapt to increasingly frequent and severe wildfires. 

While weather events have always existed, the changing climate has made many of them more powerful and dangerous to our communities, in large part because even slightly hotter temperatures can mean more water evaporates. That makes the ground drier and sometimes can lead to bigger rain storms such as the atmospheric rivers California has seen with increasing "frequency and ferocity" in recent years. 

"I imagine this [was] the perfect storm to force the city to invest in the proper infrastructure," she said. "[Climate change] is a countrywide problem that we don't take [enough] preventative measures for."

Morten said she hopes city governments, or even organizations like Red Cross and FEMA, can develop a streamlined process for volunteers to do more. 

"I'm feeling pretty numb and like the only thing I can do is pass out water," she said. "I think a lot of people are feeling how I'm feeling, which is really restless and wanting to do something."

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