In-person classes were canceled for several days at Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles as a result of a structure fire that broke out a half mile from the Upper School, Colin Ho and Connor Tang reported earlier this month in the school’s student newspaper.
On January 7, a series of wildfires started in Los Angeles County that spread throughout the region, destroying thousands of homes and other structures. Moody’s has estimated insured losses for current firestorm events will likely range between $20 and $30 billion, that being a “preliminary” estimate as of January 17, with significant uncertainty, as some of these fires are ongoing.
At least 335 schools from Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura, and San Diego counties had closed temporarily when fires broke out across LA, affecting more than 211,000 students, according to the California Department of Education.
Many schools held off on resuming instruction last week, saying their focus for now has been healing, and trying to restore a sense of community, according to an Associated Press report. The Pasadena Unified School District, for example, kept all schools closed for its 14,000 students. It offered self-directed online activities but said the work was optional.
Other schools relocated students to new campuses following the destruction of their school buildings. “We have a roof over our heads. We have them back in school. So, you know, I am happy,” one mom was quoted as saying as she dropped her daughter off at the new elementary school. “But of course, there’s a lot of grief.”
We urge readers to consult websites for the American Red Cross, California Fire Foundation, and California Department of Education if they would like to help the victims and firefighters in Los Angeles.