BURSTActor Steve Guttenberg weighed in on the devastating Los Angeles wildfires that have ravaged the Palisades neighborhood, billowing luxurious homes into grim ashes in its wake.
“Just this morning, I woke up and I was really conscious of my mental state and my mental health, because the last three days, I’ve seen so much tragedy,” Guttenberg told the The Associated Press.
Although his home is still standing with electricity, running water is scarce.
He compared the unexpected disaster to the loss of a loved one.
“It’s like when someone dies suddenly,” he said. “It’s like when someone gets hit by a car. You never expect that to happen. That’s how shocking it was.”
However, he isn’t suffering through the travesty alone. Other celebrities such as Billy Crystal, Mandy Moore, Carey Elwes and Paris Hilton have each lost homes to the flames. President Biden's son, Hunter Biden, was also affected by the wildfires.
“All these houses behind me burned to the ground where their families enjoyed wonderful times together with their friends and family,” Guttenberg said.
“There’s really a lot of pain going on right now," he added. "I’m doing whatever I can to help alleviate it.”
He also lauded the community’s humanity found in considerate neighbors and first response teams that helped to evacuate individuals as people remain trapped. At least 10 have been killed as a result of the blazes.
“Everybody’s gonna do what regular people do: Help each other, give each other food and water, help each other in their backyards, in their front yards,” he said.
“Even though somebody’s an actor, producer, writer, director, we’re all just people," the actor continued. "Maybe people can donate at one point to some sort of fund. But I just think, be a good neighbor right now.”
In a previous video, he suggested the country employ the National Guard to help rescue teams.
California has already received help fighting fires from Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has provided water bombers to douse flames and said the country is ready to deploy 250 firefighters. Other states, including Florida, have also pledged their support.
Biden on Thursday announced the administration would also provide up to 180 days of assistance.