The January 2025 Southern California wildfires were some of the most destructive fires in the state’s history. Two local Scouting America councils have joined forces to assist the Scouting families affected the most.
Two programs — a uniform replacement program and an adopt-a-Scouting-family program — have gone a long way toward helping the more than 130 Scouting households across the two councils that lost their homes and most everything in them.
The programs were a joint effort of the Greater Los Angeles Scouting and Western Los Angeles County councils.
“As the story started to unfold, we both realized we had some significant impact amongst our Scouting families,” says Bob Kurkjian, CEO/Scout Executive of Greater Los Angeles Scouting. “So we tried to figure out what we could do that would actually be impactful.”
The uniform replacement program aims to provide a full replacement uniform — along with an official handbook — to youth and adults at no charge.
“What’s more quintessential in Scouting than having a uniform to wear?” Kurkjian says.
The adopt-a-Scouting-family program allows Scouts from around the world to connect with an LA-area family to provide tailored assistance specific to what they’ve lost.
Click here to learn how you can participate in either program.
A third program designed to support California firefighters resulted in more than 60,000 bottles of water being donated and delivered to a firefighting base camp.
Donors who contribute $100 or more will receive a limited edition Fire Fund coin (shown above) designed exclusively to recognize those who generously supported helping those affected by the fires.
Spring into action
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, most of the damage from the Southern California wildfires was the result of two fires: the Palisades Fire, which burned 23,707 acres, and the Eaton Fire, which burned 14,021 acres.
Both started on January 7, and it wasn’t until January 31 that both were contained.
It didn’t take long for Kurkjian, a Navy reservist with some previous experience in disaster relief, to reach out to his counterpart, Western Los Angeles County Council Scout Executive and CEO Lee Harrison.
“We sent the message out across the country,” Harrison says.
Nearly 200 Scouting units from more than 20 different states and the United Kingdom have participated in the adopt-a-Scouting-family program. The uniform replacement program has resulted in more than $45,000 worth of donations.
When one Los Angeles-area Cub Scout pack wasn’t sure if they were going to be able to pull off their Pinewood Derby race due to the fires, a pack in New Jersey built a bunch of cars and shipped them across the country for the LA pack to use.
“The Palisades Fire has deeply affected generations of Scouting families, reaching into every aspect of our council’s operations,” Harrison says. “Having been part of this community since I was a 15-year-old summer camp volunteer, I have personally felt the weight of this tragedy.
“Yet, what stands out most is the unwavering passion to keep our programs alive. In visiting several units, I witnessed both deep sorrow and immense relief — the pain of loss — and I also witnessed the gratitude that Scouting endures.”
Answering the call
A Scouting mom from a troop in the Pacific Palisades area was frantically evacuating her home when she called her college-age son and asked him if there was anything he wanted her to grab.
He asked her to grab his Scout uniform.
A Scouting dad from a troop in Altadena told his daughter to go into her room and grab a few things that were important to her.
She came back a few minutes later with her Scout uniform and backpack.
Heather Readhead is an assistant Cubmaster with the Golden Gate Council’s Pack 30 in Berkeley, California. Readhead’s pack — located nearly 400 miles from Los Angeles — was one of the first groups from outside the affected area to respond to the call for help.
Readhead and her family were matched with a Scouting family who had lost their home.
“If our house burned down and my family was starting over, I know that keeping my kids enjoying their usual activities like Scouting would be a huge part of the recovery process,” Readhead says. “Being given a new Scout uniform, a backpack, sleeping bag, baseball gear, some favorite books — this would make them partly feel back to normal and cared for.
“I wanted to do the same for these kids and their families.”
Mary Broomfield is the chartering organization representative for Orange County Council Pack 818 and Troop 818, which collected toys, sports equipment, camping gear and monetary donations for a Scouting family who had lost their home in one of the wildfires.
“We recently experienced a fire ourselves, though it fortunately didn’t cause structural damage in our area,” Broomfield says. “The number of Scouting families who reached out to us was so touching. That’s why our Scouting families felt compelled to help those affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.”
Victoria Aranda is part of a Scouting America family that lost their home in the fires. Her family was adopted by a Cub Scout pack that got them on the road to recovery.
“Pack 205 showered us with love and support,” Aranda says. “Our personal friends in Scouting have been generous and kind, dressing us, feeding us, supplying us with tools and putting a roof over our heads. We could not have done this without them.
“Our Scouting family has been key in helping us to heal.”
Kurkjian and Harrison say the biggest need now is the uniform replacement program. Click here to learn how to contribute.
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