Former MLB player Kenny Lofton shares his experience witnessing the destructive power of the California wildfires and his efforts to help those affected. Despite his home being spared, Lofton emphasizes the widespread impact of the fires, reaching both affluent and low-income communities.
The former Gold Glove winning center fielder for the Indians, Kenny Lofton , spoke about the devastating Los Angeles -area wildfires that have claimed at least 25 lives, destroyed thousands of structures, and scorched at least 60 square miles. Lofton, who hails from East Chicago, Indiana, has been a longtime resident of Southern California, calling Venice Beach home. While his property has remained untouched by the flames, the winds blowing north have spared his neighborhood from the inferno.
'Luckily the wind has been blowing north, not south where I live,' Lofton told cleveland.com. 'It's sad. It's really sad. People's lives have been destroyed just like that.'Despite his personal safety, Lofton felt compelled to contribute to the relief efforts for his community. 'I was just trying to help,' said Lofton. 'I took some stuff from my house and dropped it off at a shelter near my house. Then I went to the store and bought a lot of different things that people needed and took it to another shelter.' He emphasized his sense of responsibility to assist those who have lost everything. 'I just felt I needed to do my part. It's just sad to see. I just couldn't sit at home and do nothing. People got displaced. Their whole wardrobe is just gone. They have no toilet paper, tooth brush, tooth paste. All that stuff is just gone.'The wildfires, according to Lofton, have impacted people from all walks of life, regardless of their economic status. Entire neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades, California, near the coast, were obliterated, with estimates by Los Angeles officials suggesting that 23,000 acres and 10,000 structures have been destroyed. 'Even though Palisades is a very expensive place to live, it wasn't just the million homes that were destroyed,' said Lofton. 'There's low-income housing as well. Those are the people who have had their homes destroyed that can't afford it.' Lofton described the destructive power of the fire, comparing it to a 'hurricane of fire,' where winds instead of rain carry embers that ignite everything in their path. He concluded, 'Those embers just blow and they hit every little thing they can and start another fire...I just felt I had to do something.
Kenny Lofton California Wildfires Community Relief Pacific Palisades Los Angeles
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