Dave Grohl spent his birthday making meals for families left displaced by the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles.
- READ MORE: LA music community tell us about “tragic” impact of wildfires: “This will be felt for years”
The Foo Fighters frontman turned 56 years old yesterday (January 14), and seemingly spent the day volunteering in LA, making meals for those left affected by the fires.
At the time of writing, there are five concurrent blazes sweeping across the city. Since they began last Tuesday (January 7), 24 people have been confirmed dead, more than 180,000 residents have been evacuated and an estimated 12,000 buildings have been destroyed.
In footage shared by Feed The Streets Los Angeles on Instagram Stories, the singer and guitarist was seen stirring a large pot of chilli as part of the efforts to provide food for those who have been forced to leave their homes. Another clip showed him pushing containers down the pavement to help.
This isn’t the first time that the artist has gotten involved in local charity efforts. Based in the city’s Encino neighbourhood, Grohl has volunteered as part of Feed The Streets in the past too.
Last year for instance, he spent his Super Bowl Sunday barbecuing at a homeless shelter in LA, and did the same in 2023, spending 16 hours on the barbecue at the Hope of the Valley rescue mission.
In December 2023 he used his day off from Foo Fighters‘ Australia tour to help feed the homeless, volunteering with a Melbourne-based charity. He also stepped up to the barbecue in 2018 to cook for Californian firefighters as a thank you for their tireless efforts in tackling the devastating wildfires which had ravaged the state.
Find out more about Feed The Streets here.
He isn’t the only famous face getting involved in the charity efforts for those affected by the 2025 wildfires either. Beyoncé‘s foundation, for example, donated $2.5million to relief efforts and Paris Hilton has donated $100,000 and launched a fund to help displaced families.
Jamie Lee Curtis has donated $1million to relief efforts, Charli XCX urged brands who send her clothing to instead donate it to those affected by the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires, and Sophie Lloyd confirmed money from her upcoming US show will be donated.
Guitar Center announced a new programme that will help musicians affected by replacing their instruments or gear, and Metallica have also donated $500,000 to relief efforts.
Yesterday, it was reported that over 1,000 people in the music community were being supported by MusiCares – the not-for-profit arm of The Grammys and Recording Academy – amid the wildfires.
The charity said scores of people had been in touch since they launched their “Fire Relief Effort” last week. Speaking to NME, Theresa Wolters from the organisation, said: “What’s been shocking to me, going through the contact we’ve had, is just the number of people who have lost everything.”
The Pacific Palisades blaze, one of a number of fires that continues to burn, covers almost 20,000 acres – a geographic area approximately 20 times the size of the Glastonbury festival site.
Members of the LA music community have also spoken to NME about being hit hard, with a number of venues, studios and artists being affected by the blaze.
Evan Peters, Vice President of 21 Entertainment Group, a boutique artist management company and record label, told NME that it is hard for him to comprehend the level of the damage. “Through IG and chats on text, the tally of people I know who have lost everything is beyond my ability to process,” he said. “I’ve seen various accounts of terror from many industry friends in the aftermath of a complete loss of everything.”
Among those to lose their homes include the artists Jhené Aiko, Madlib, Diane Warren, Harry Mack, Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith, Tim Darcy of the Canadian rock groups Cola and Ought, pop duo Brijean, 30 Seconds To Mars guitarist and musical director Stevie Aiello, and Beyonce‘s mother Tina Knowles.
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