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'I couldn't sit around and do nothing'

Chloe Walsh A woman wearing black trousers, a white t-shirt, a blue baseball cap and a white face mask is walking across gravel. Behind her is a fire engine and a white van marked "Mobile Kitchen Unit". Chloe Walsh
Chloe Walsh has been delivering supplies and freshly-cooked food to people affected by the Los Angeles wildfires

Last week, Chloe Walsh was preparing to evacuate her Los Angeles home with her husband and their three cats.

Now, the professional chef is travelling around LA county delivering aid and home-cooked meals to people who have lost their homes in the wildfires which are continuing to burn.

"I don't know if people understand the severity of what's going on here at the moment," said Ms Walsh, who is originally from Worcester.

"It's been crazy. I think I won't really get a true sense of how I'm feeling until I zoom out in a few weeks."

Ms Walsh, who has lived in LA for 11 years, has a home with her husband near one of the original evacuation zones - but in the end they were able to stay at home.

"I don't think I've felt fear like this before," she said.

"When we had the car packed ready to go, imagining leaving this house that we've built over the last five years, it was terrifying."

Chloe Walsh A table is covered with small cardboard boxes containing pots of food.Chloe Walsh
Ms Walsh has been preparing home-cooked meals for firefighters as well as victims of the wildfires

When she saw the plight of people who had lost their homes, Ms Walsh decided to start fundraising for those who had been less fortunate than her.

"I just couldn't sit around and do nothing," she explained.

She gathered donations to buy essentials like toothpaste and soap, as well as gift cards for people to buy what they needed themselves.

That developed into cooking and distributing meals to fire victims, as well as to the emergency services.

"We've also been driving down to Malibu and distributing as much food and as much aid as we possibly can directly to the firefighters.

"Sustenance into their hands as they're literally coming down from the fire to rest."

Chloe Walsh Two supermarket trollies side by side in the middle of a supermarket aisle. They contain non-perishable food supplies, toothpaste and nappies.Chloe Walsh
Ms Walsh has been using donations to buy essential supplies for those who have lost their homes

But Ms Walsh said her efforts were being hampered by heavy police presences to deter people from looting abandoned homes.

"The streets are so heavily policed, obviously because of the fires but also the looting," she explained, "we can't get into the deeper areas unless we have an authentication badge.

"But we're doing our best to distribute the food regardless."

At least 24 people have died in the fires and 23 others are missing in the Eaton and Palisades fire zones.

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