Apple is donating an undisclosed amount of money to support local wildfire relief in California, where fires have forced thousands of people to evacuate their homes in San Francisco.
In a Wednesday tweet, Tim Cook wrote that: “To our employees, friends and neighbors affected by the heatwave and expanding fires across CA, please stay safe and listen to local evacuation orders.”
To our employees, friends and neighbors affected by the heatwave and expanding fires across CA, please stay safe and listen to local evacuation orders. Apple will be donating to local wildfire relief efforts.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) August 19, 2020
Earlier this week, one of Earth’s highest ever temperatures on recorded was recorded in Death Valley, California. A total of 367 blazes have so far been recorded in this year’s wildfires, with string winds helping their spread. According to a report by the BBC, blazes in the San Francisco Bay Area have grown to 46,000 acres, larger than the city of Washington DC. The state of California has reportedly been hit by 10,000+ lightning strikes over the past 72 hours. These have also caused dense smoke in the area and power outages.
This is not the first time Apple has donated to fire relief efforts in its home state. In 2017, it donated $1 million to fire relief efforts. Apple also matched employee donations two for one. Apple has also donated to other causes. Earlier this year, it donated $10 million to help fight COVID-19.
Tim Cook has made it clear that he wants Apple to be a “force for good” in the community. Donating money to important, life-saving causes like this is just one more way Apple can obtain that goal.
