Palm Springs becomes haven for Los Angeles fire evacuees as flames ravage their city

Last Wednesday evening, Mitchel Karp had just finished some work and settled into bed for a cozy night of television at his home in the Hollywood Hills, where he has lived since 1987. Just as he got comfortable, his sister called from New York, urging him to evacuate. He didn’t smell smoke or see anything unusual from his balcony, so he walked to his building’s management office to inform them about a possible fire.

On his way, Karp passed the pool and looked toward Runyon Canyon, where he saw what he describes as a massive ball of fire. When he entered the lobby, he encountered a scene of chaos.

“I walked into the lobby, and everybody was running with suitcases trying to leave,” says Karp.

By the time he returned to his apartment, he received an alert from the City of Los Angeles instructing him to evacuate immediately. He quickly packed essentials and left his unit within 12 minutes, navigating the crowded streets of Los Angeles to head to Palm Springs.

Karp is one of nearly 100,000 people in Los Angeles facing evacuation orders as fires have destroyed approximately 12,000 structures and claimed the lives of two dozen people so far. Although his home was spared, he spent the weekend comforting visitors to his vintage clothing boutique, Mitchells Palm Springs on South Indian Canyon Drive, many of whom were not as fortunate.

“I had people that lost everything, that I cried with, that I hugged, and I said, you know, ‘You’re alive, you’re here’,” recalls Karp, who is donating a portion of Mitchells’ sales from the weekend to fire victims.

As fires continue to devastate Los Angeles, Palm Springs has seen a steady influx of evacuees seeking refuge. Many hotels are offering discounted rates, and local businesses are providing resources. Last week, the city launched this web page with the latest information on how locals can assist their neighbors to the west.

“We have seen an increase in occupancy, and – not only have hotels opened up special discounts for evacuees – but they are keeping discounted channels open, plus some hotels which would typically have a pet fee are waiving them,” says Peggy Trott from PS Resorts, the general manager of Kimpton Rowan.

According to Trott, Palm Springs’ proximity to Los Angeles and its reputation as a safe haven make it an ideal refuge during such crises. Many hotels, including The Hyatt Palm Springs, are at full capacity.

“I had people that lost everything, that I cried with, that I hugged, and I said, you know, ‘You’re alive, you’re here.’”

— Mitchel Karp, owner of Mitchells Palm Springs

“Overnight, since the fires began, our occupancy has risen a lot,” said Marlene Cortez, the Hyatt’s assistant front office manager. “And it was honestly a little overwhelming, because they’re coming in just trying to find shelter and trying to find somewhere to stay with their pets, like their dogs or cats or children, just grabbing whatever they can from their homes or what’s left of it.”

The hotel remains full as evacuees extend their stays while awaiting updates on their homes. Many are concerned about Los Angeles’ poor air quality, while others are still uncertain if their homes have been destroyed.

“Every day they’ll come up say, ‘Hey, I don’t know if we’re going to stay. I’ll let you know by the end of the day,’ and they’re kind of just listening to the news and trying to see if it’s safe to go now. And so today, due to the winds picking up, a lot of people are staying,” says Cortez. “It’s just a lot of uncertainty.”

Others, like Victoria Malone and her husband Chris, are sheltering in Airbnbs throughout the desert. The couple evacuated their Malibu home, their first home, purchased just last March, which they had just finished furnishing in December, to a safe area of Los Angeles before relocating to Joshua Tree last Saturday.

They spent days scouring TikTok, Instagram, and news reports, trying to learn what happened to their home. They repeatedly drove to their neighborhood, but were denied access. They also relied on Google spreadsheets crowdsourced by neighbors and journalists to track which homes were safe or destroyed. Unfortunately, their house wasn’t listed, leaving them in agonizing uncertainty.

Malone eventually received an Instagram message from a journalist who had accessed the neighborhood and lived across the street. While the journalist’s home was destroyed, she confirmed that the Malones’ house was still standing. However, she warned that unpredictable winds and weather could change the situation.

“I think I’m still processing that, and I think I won’t fully kind of do that until we get to see our house with our own eyes and see, you know, what remains of our area,” says Malone. “I’m devastated for LA. I’m devastated for everyone in Malibu and Pacific Palisades and Altadena.

“Obviously there’s been a lot of stuff on the news and on social media about how ‘Oh, it’s all rich people and celebrities.’ In our neighborhood in Malibu there’s a lot of elderly people that have lived there for, you know, 30 years.”

This uncertainty reflects the broader experiences of evacuees sheltering in the Coachella Valley. Grocery stores like Trader Joe’s report long lines as evacuees stock up on supplies. A clerk at the Cathedral City location – popular with Palm Springs shoppers — shared that many customers have shown him photos of their burning homes as he rang up their groceries.

Local businesses are also stepping up to help.

Nicole Trigg, owner of Botanical Verbiage, is offering free flower deliveries to fire victims in the Coachella Valley. Using flower symbolism from the Victorian era and the Bible, she creates personalized bouquets representing comfort, hope, and peace. If you’d like to send flowers to someone in the Coachella Valley affected by the fires go to the Botanical Verbiage website.

Trigg delivered 10 orders Monday and plans to continue throughout the week. Other local businesses, including Baby’s Marché, Gabino’s Creperie, Kiki’s La Quinta, Desert Metro Fitness, and realtor Iris Brianna — to name only a few — have contributed gift cards for care packages delivered to Airbnbs. Local Rotary clubs organized a assistance drive on Sunday outside Smart & Final in Palm Springs, filling multiple trucks with supplies.

“It was neat to have put together a little bundle of community collaboration.,” says Trigg. “And that’s kind of our heart, too, as business owners in the Coachella Valley, is we want to show them how special our town is and who we are as that support.”

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Post Editor Kendall Balchan contributed to this report.

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