Free Resources for SoCal Wildfire Victims: Data Recovery, Insurance Help & More
Plus: Snapchat Founder Reflects on Fire Loss and Gives Back
Snapchat Founder Reflects on Fire Loss and Gives Back
Snapchat founder Evan Spiegel shared a heartfelt letter titled Dear Los Angeles, I Love You, revealing his personal connection to the fires. Spiegel grew up in Pacific Palisades, where his dad's home, which served as the original Snapchat HQ, was destroyed in the recent fires. While his mom’s house survived, Spiegel praised LA’s resilience and generosity and acknowledged the 150 Snap employees displaced by the disaster. Snap has donated $5 million to wildfire relief efforts, aiding evacuees, first responders, and recovery initiatives.
Where they donated:
Loti Provides Free Insurance Resources
For wildfire victims navigating complex insurance claims, Loti is a valuable resource. Founded by a survivor of the 2019 Kincade Fire, Loti has created a free library of recovery tools. It includes articles, templates, and checklists to help with evacuation planning, insurance documentation, and rebuilding. Their most popular article offers tips on managing phone calls with insurance companies. Visit Loti's Learning Hub to access these free resources.
DriveSavers Offers Free Data Recovery Services
Northern California-based DriveSavers is stepping up to help Southern California wildfire victims by offering $1 million in free data recovery services. The company specializes in recovering documents, photos, and more from fire- and water-damaged devices, including hard drives, storage cards, and mobile phones. However, recovery may be impossible for devices with melted components. DriveSavers provides a free shipping label for affected devices. The offer is available until January 31 or until the $1 million limit is reached.