A Dublin-born businessman has opened the doors of his Venice Beach restaurants and cafés to provide food and shelter to evacuees as wildfires continue to ravage parts of Los Angeles. Louie Ryan, who has lived in the US since the 1990s, is also offering support to first responders battling the devastating blazes, saying simply: “It’s the right thing to do.”
Ryan, who raised his family in LA, made the decision to offer his businesses as a place of refuge after the fires have displaced thousands and caused widespread destruction across the city. As the fires continue to burn, claiming at least 16 lives with 13 people still missing, Ryan is determined to help those in need.
“It’s the right thing to do. I’m sitting here in my home untouched three miles from the fires. It could swoop in this direction at any minute,” Ryan said, reflecting on the unpredictability of the disaster. “I don’t know how the city recovers after this.”
The wildfires, which have affected multiple areas of Los Angeles, are being fueled by high winds, and firefighters are working tirelessly to get the blazes under control. While the scale of the disaster is still unfolding, Ryan recognizes the emotional and physical toll it is taking on the residents of the city.
“There’s a big hole in my heart. There’s a big hole in the city’s heart,” he said. “The fallout from this is going to be gigantic. I can see it on our customers and our employees.”
Ryan shared a poignant encounter with a 90-year-old man in one of his coffee shops, who likened the fires to the devastation of World War II. “I asked him if he had ever seen anything like this before, and he said, ‘World War Two,'” Ryan recalled.
In addition to supporting evacuees, Ryan and his family have been reaching out to first responders, bringing food and caffeine to the crews working long hours in hazardous conditions. “To walk into those stations, which my wife and I did the deliveries on day one, and just to smell the smoke and the char and see the boots covered in ash… these guys are real heroes,” Ryan said.
Despite the chaos and destruction, Ryan noted a sense of unity that has emerged in the face of the crisis. “It seems that this has brought the community together,” he said, as Los Angeles residents rally in support of one another during this challenging time.
