Since January 7 2025, over thirty one wildfires have affected California’s Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of January 20th, the fires in the Pacific Palisades have been ongoing, destroying homes, schools, restaurants, and the wildlife. 

The fires have caused major distress, sadness, and turmoil for the people and families deeply affected by the fires. In a time of fear, the people of California have come together to help the victims involved in the wildfires. 

When it comes to times of tragedy, people and communities come together to help and comfort. That helps seeing the beauty through the pain. 

This is a time for sensitivity and sympathy in our words and actions. In recent events there has been one Tiktok influencer that has been getting put into the spotlight and not in a good way. 

Leo Skepi, a twenty-six year old TikTok influencer, best known for making videos talking about his life experiences and sharing advice to others in a more aggressive tone. He posted a video with 2.2 million likes that is still up on his page, basically saying that if you live in Los Angeles and survived the fire, congratulations that was only the first wave. 

He continues saying the fires were threat number one and threat number two is the fact no one is responding to crime right now and that people are looting and stealing from their homes. 

He goes on saying and I quote, “Homeless people have been waiting. This is their moment.” Practically insinuating that the people looting homes are homeless people. 

Now I do not disagree with the fact that there has been looting in the areas where the fires occurred. According to CNN, there have been 40 cases of looting identified. 

However claiming that it is homeless or all homeless people committing the looting is such an out of touch response. Not to mention it is quite harmful too. 

Homeless people have been marginalized in America. There are many people who view the homeless as criminals or dangerous. Homeless people or families have been put into this category that is seen so negatively by the rest of society.

Saying they have been waiting for their moment to loot homes is so detrimental to the homeless crisis in California. Especially if you are someone who has 4.7 million followers on social media. 

There are 75,312 unhoused people in the county of Los Angeles, and 45,252 unhoused in the city of Los Angeles as of 2024. California being as big as it is, has a large homeless population and there have been countless organizations formed to help that crisis and change the narrative and stigma surrounding homelessness. 

Having this belief that all homeless people are criminals and blasting it out on social media is just a bizarre statement to make, especially with the heavy devastation caused by the fires for the Los Angeles communities. 

Skepi did make a comment in the video that I found a bit snarky. He said “If you survived the fires, congrats. This is just round one.” 

There have been 27 recorded deaths so far of the fires, and about 10,000 homes were lost. People are grieving their memories, love, and lives that were built into the walls of those houses. There are people who have lost everything. 

That comment in itself has a lack of emphasization and no touch of humanity. I understand trying to make people aware of the lootings, but that was not the right way to do it.