“California has a long history with wildfire,” Stephanie Eyes, a senior wildlife biologist for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (FWS) Sacramento Fish and Wildlife Office, noted in an October 2022 article. Per Reuters, eight of the 10 largest wildfires in California history have occurred in the last five years. Remember the August Complex wildfire from August 2020? It was a wildfire that burnt 1,032,648 acres of land, the most to date. To add to the local’s misery, another wildfire has taken place.

Multiple wildfires are raging across Southern California, forcing tens of thousands of residents to evacuate and causing widespread destruction:

Palisades Fire: This fire exploded in size rapidly, growing from 20 acres to over 200 acres within 20 minutes. By Wednesday night, it had scorched nearly 16,000 acres, prompting the evacuation of at least 30,000 people.
Eaton Fire: This blaze spread quickly, reaching 1,000 acres within six hours of its start. Tragically, five deaths have been reported. The fire has now grown to over 10,000 acres.
Hurst Fire: Located north of San Fernando, this fire has grown to 850 acres and has triggered evacuations in Santa Clarita.
Woodley Fire: This fire in Woodley Park has been contained.
Olivas Fire: This fire in Ventura County has also been contained.
Lidia Fire: This fire in the Acton area has grown to nearly 350 acres but is now 40% contained.
Sunset Fire: This fire in the Hollywood Hills is currently burning across 50 acres and poses a significant threat to the residential area. A mandatory evacuation order is in effect.

Amidst the wildfire, Morgan Riddle, Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend, a Minnesota-born influencer who is currently in Australia owing to her boyfriend’s Australian Open campaign, shared an Instagram story on January 9th. “I feel completely drained and helpless being on the other side of the world while my home burns. People I love are in such a scary situation, and thousands of animals will suffer. I am far from over. LA friends, please foster if you are in safe areas,” she shared.

Per LA Times, five fatalities and over 2,000 structures have being destroyed as a new wildfire engulfed the Hollywood Hills. Over 100,000 residents have been ordered to evacuate due to widespread wildfires across Los Angeles County. Red flag warnings remain in effect until Thursday for both Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

While Morgan Riddle shared her concerns, American ace Frances Tiafoe‘s girlfriend has also stepped up to offer her support amidst the raging fire. “What is going on? Praying for everyone in LA rightnow,” said Broomfield in her Instagram story while sharing glimpses of the fire from the sky.

Amidst the chaos caused, WTA Legend Martina Navratilova joined Taylor Fritz’s girlfriend and others to offer her concerns.

WTA legend joins Taylor Fritz’s GF to offer her support to the victims of the wildfire

An X user recently shared real-time GIS weather visualization of the wildfire-affected region. The data highlighted alarming “hotspot” signatures, expanding fire perimeters, and smoke plumes rising 15,000 feet. The Palisades Fire has burned 3,000 acres, while the Eaton Fire spans 2,300 acres. Wind speeds in the region have reached a staggering 100 mph, intensifying the disaster.

Seeing the post, Navratilova couldn’t hold back her concern. She reshared the tweet, adding, “Fingers crossed for all, yikes. Winds up to 100 mph- holy c***.” Her words reflect her shock at the scale of destruction and her empathy for the people, animals, and communities facing this tragedy.

Pasadena Humane, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles, recently witnessed dogs, cats, and birds coming in with some burns on their body. The org, in a post shared on their Facebook profile, said that they have started to take care of the pets amidst the wildfire and are requesting monetary donations to support them.

Thus, Martina Navratilova’s response adds her voice to the growing awareness of wildfires. As a global sports icon, her message shows the need for collective support during such challenging times.