CRMBC CEO and insurance industry expert Kaya Stanley explains how there’s no state surplus to cover the ‘catastrophic’ economic losses associated with the Los Angeles wildfires.
Several business leaders have reacted on social media to the wildfires raging in Southern California.
In a Wednesday night post on X, Apple CEO Tim Cook called the destruction from the flames impacting Los Angeles County “heartbreaking.”
“Thank you to the incredible firefighters, first responders, and all those assisting for your heroic efforts,” he wrote, adding that Apple “will be donating to support the victims and recovery efforts on the ground.”
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Apple CEO Tim Cook called the destruction from the flames impacting Los Angeles County “heartbreaking.” (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid / Reuters Photos)
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff similarly said Wednesday he was “heartbroken.”
“Having seen firsthand the destruction that high speed winds and fire can cause, my thoughts are fixed with everyone affected,” he added. “May peace and safety be restored to all in this difficult time.”
In other X posts, Benioff also encouraged people to “join the effort to support” people affected by the fires, sharing an article detailing several relief organizations.
Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff speaks during a panel session on day two of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Jan. 18, 2023. (Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Bob Iger, the CEO of the Walt Disney Company, said Wednesday on Instagram that his “heart goes out to everyone who has lost homes and businesses, and all whose lives have been impacted, including thousands of Disney employees.”
Disney CEO Bob Iger attends the Oscar Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on February 12, 2024. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
“I drove through Pacific Palisades today and witnessed firsthand the devastation caused by the fires,” he said.
Five wildfires were blazing in Los Angeles County as of Thursday morning.
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Three of the wildfires – the Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire and the Sunset Fire – remained 0% contained, according to CalFire. The Hurst and Lidia fires, meanwhile, have been 10% and 40% contained, respectively.
Firefighters fight the flames from the Palisades Fire burning the Theatre Palisades during a powerful windstorm on Jan. 8, 2025, in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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Of the five, the Palisades Fire has burned the most acres so far, impacting over 17,200, according to CalFire. An early morning update on the Palisades Fire reported hundreds of buildings destroyed and some 13,300 facing the threat of flames.
A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire while it burns homes at Pacific Coast Highway amid a powerful windstorm on Jan. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. (Apu Gomes/Getty Images / Getty Images)
At least five people have died in the Eaton Fire.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Wednesday evening that “more than 7,500 firefighting personnel are on the ground working with local and federal partners to respond to California’s ongoing historic wildfires.”
