Los Angeles County Wildfires Update
Last updated: January 29, 2025
The catastrophe of the California fires and the impact they have had on our members, their families and their patients is heart wrenching. The wildfires are at the top of our minds here at APA, and our hearts go out to all those impacted.
Several members have inquired about the Annual Meeting and their travel to it. At this time, there are no changes to our plans to host the meeting in LA, and we look forward to your presence there.
Both the Southern California Psychiatric Society (SCPS) and the LA community have made it clear the economic benefits from events like the Annual Meeting are critical to supporting recovery and preserving the livelihoods of those affected by the fires. With that in mind, the Annual Meeting will continue as scheduled, so we can contribute to this recovery and foster the economic renewal needed now and in the months ahead.
The Los Angeles Convention Center and the surrounding areas have not been impacted by the wildfires. We stay hopeful that ongoing efforts to control these catastrophic fires progresses. We are monitoring the situation closely and will update you if anything changes.
We continue to communicate with impacted members and the SCPS to understand their needs and provide support. We also plan to add sessions at the Annual Meeting related to the psychiatric impact of these fires and their aftermath.
How You Can Help
If you want to help the people of Southern California during this disaster, there are various ways to do that, including some that leverage your existing points and miles.
- The American Red Cross has a California-specific donation page set up.
- World Central Kitchen is also on the ground. It has a dedicated page set up for donations for fire relief.
- Chase Pay Yourself Back is still offering bonus points on select charities such as the Red Cross and World Central Kitchen — with up to a 50% bonus on your points until March 31. Learn more about Pay Yourself Back and how to use it here.
- You can also donate your points directly to charities. View a complete guide to making those donations.
- For other ways to support the LA area, please check out our 2025 APA Gives Back organization, FEAST. You can donate to FEAST by logging into the Registration Resource Center.
- Our partners at the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board are closely monitoring the situation in Los Angeles. They have put together a list of local resources for those affected and those that want to help, as well as information on the impacts of the wildfires on travel and local attractions. View their resources and information here.
APA also recommends the following resources to help those directly impacted by the fires: