FOX Weather’s Brandy Campbell reports from Venice, California, where the community is coming together to help feed wildfire first responders and victims.
When disaster strikes, there are always unsung heroes rising from the ashes to help their beloved community.
Venice’s Pizza Girl is no exception.
“We’re providing pizzas not only to first responders, but also a lot of evacuees. So we’re doing everything we can. As you can see, our shop is small but mighty,” Pizza Girl founder Caroline D’Amore told FOX Weather’s Brandy Campbell on Thursday.
“My team is incredible and I couldn’t do it without them. So these guys have been going nonstop. We’re making, right now, 200 meals for the firefighters up [in] Topanga.”
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Since the tragic wildfires struck the Southern California area nine days ago, D’Amore says her restaurant has pushed out at least 1,000 pizzas.
Pizza Girl out of Venice, California, has handed out more than 1,000 pizzas for wildfire victims and first responders. (FOXBusiness)
As of this week, more than 40,000 acres and 12,000 buildings have been burned, at least 25 people have been killed and dozens are still missing.
Cal Fire has reported the Palisades and Eaton Fires to be among the top five most destructive in California history, and a recent AccuWeather analysis found the estimated cost of losses to be between $250 billion and $275 billion.
Resources, personnel and equipment have poured in from more than half a dozen states and at least three other countries to help fight the fires, according to FOX Weather.
Los Angeles’ budget priorities are under scrutiny over cuts to the city’s fire department ahead of devastating fires, and several people raised the alarm ahead of time. (FOX)
Texas, Arizona, Oregon, Colorado, Nevada, Washington and Utah have sent dozens or hundreds of on-the-ground responders, while Canada, Mexico and Ukraine have also offered immediate aid and assistance.
While regular business has halted for Pizza Girl, the low-key operation has plans to continue serving the community until people and places are able to build back stronger and better.
Officials say the recovery process will be long and arduous for the affected communities surrounding Los Angeles. As the fires continue to burn, the focus remains on containment, search and rescue and supporting those impacted by the devastating event.
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The woman told her distraught five-year-old son, “We just got to start from the bottom up, but we’re together.”
“Honestly, all of our catering jobs have been canceled. And clearly, you can see how quiet it is, but we will get through this,” D’Amore said.
“And I do believe that we will rebuild and we will be okay. And I think just supporting everybody is the most important thing right now, doing everything we can.”
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FOX Weather contributed to this report.
