The destructive wildfires in California have resulted in the tragic loss of dozens of lives, as well as the widespread destruction of communities across the state.
Thousands of people have been displaced, having lost their homes in the fires.
The Camp fire in Northern California — the deadliest in the state’s history — has killed more than 80 people, injured three firefighters, and burned more than 18,000 structures. More than 500 people still remain unaccounted for after the fire, which is contained at 90%.
In Southern California, three people have been killed in the Woolsey fire, during which hundreds of thousands of residents were forced to flee their homes less than 24 hours after a mass shooting at a local bar.
But on Thursday, wildfire survivors were able to enjoy a moment of respite in the form of a warm Thanksgiving meal, thanks to acts of kindness by volunteers, nonprofit organizations, and fellow residents.
Amy Sheppard accepts banana bread from Margarita and William Bradbury as she packs up items outside her tent in a Walmart parking lot in Chico, California, which has been a makeshift campground for people displaced by the wildfire.
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Bradway Burdine serves Camp fire evacuees a Thanksgiving meal at the makeshift evacuation camp next to a Walmart store in Chico.
Volunteers with the nonprofit World Central Kitchen prepare a community Thanksgiving meal for Camp fire survivors on the campus of California State University. The organization teamed up with local businesses to provide thousands of Thanksgiving meals to displaced people.
Kameron Davis and Nick Daily eat a Thanksgiving meal with their daughter, Marley Daily, during a community Thanksgiving celebration at the California State University, Chico, after Davis’s mom, Patty Rough, lost her home to the Camp fire in Paradise.
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Eduardo Garcia (left) is served a warm meal during the community Thanksgiving celebration at California State University, Chico. Garcia, a construction worker who helped construct the Chico State auditorium where the meal is being held, lost his Paradise home in the fire.
Firefighters serve Camp fire evacuees during the Thanksgiving dinner at California State University.
A young Camp fire evacuee waits in line to receive a free Thanksgiving meal at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico.
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Camp fire evacuees have a free Thanksgiving meal at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico.
Camp fire evacuees have a Thanksgiving meal in the makeshift Walmart evacuation camp.
Camp fire evacuees wait in line to receive a free Thanksgiving meal at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
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Camp fire evacuees Magen Farris (left) and Amy Sheppard have a Thanksgiving meal in the Walmart evacuation camp in Chico.
Tasneem Nashrulla is a breaking news editor and reporter for BuzzFeed News and is based in New York.
Contact Tasneem Nashrulla at tasneem.nashrulla@buzzfeed.com.
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