Hollywood star Jennifer Garner’s friend dies in Los Angeles wildfires

Hollywood star, Jennifer Garner, has revealed her friend has died in the Los Angeles wildfires. The 52-year-old was helping to provide food relief with not-for-profit organisation the World Central Kitchen (WCK) when she spoke to reporters.

The emotional 52-year-old looked near tears during an interview with MSNBC, along with chef Jose Andres, saying she had 'lost a friend'. She said: “I did lose a friend. And for our church, it's really tender. So, I don't feel like I should talk about her yet. But yeah, I did lose a friend who did not get out on time.”

Talking to journalist Katy Tur, she continued: “My heart bleeds for my friends. There are 5000 homes lost, I can write out a list of 100 friends who lost their homes. I feel almost guilty walking through my house, what can I do, how can I help, what can I offer?”

The 52-year-old explained how her family’s Methodist church “full of really quirky, cool, mostly blue collar people” had burned to the ground during the blaze. It’s where my kids went to Sunday school, we lit the advent candle together there a couple of weeks ago, we watched the little kids perform, it’s a preschool, it’s a central place for our community. I loved belonging there because wherever I went I would run into somebody.”

The 13 Going On 30 star Garner was pictured serving food to the firefighters battling the blaze with the WCK, whose founder Mr Andres was recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of his humanitarian work.

“I’ve lived in and around the Palisades for 25 years, so I just think all of us, we want to get our hands into working, somehow to be helpful,” Garner added. “And because of my work with Save The Children, we have a relationship with chef (Mr Andres), and I was able to just say, ‘Can I be with you for the day? What can I do to help, put me to work.”

Officials have now expressed optimism that a break from the punishing winds stoking the flames will allow firefighters to make headway on the fires that have killed at least 11 people, burned an area bigger than San Francisco and destroyed more than 10,000 homes and other structures since Tuesday.

“These fires are not out, though today we’re going to make a lot of progress,” California Governor Gavin Newsom said on Friday (January 10). LA mayor Karen Bass said on Friday that firefighters had contained several smaller fires in the past 24 hours.

Of the 11 deaths so far, five were from the Palisades Fire and six from the Eaton Fire, according to the LA County medical examiner’s office. Officials said they expected that number to rise as cadaver dogs go through levelled neighbourhoods to assess the devastation.

Two of the dead were Anthony Mitchell, a 67-year-old amputee, and his son, Justin, who had cerebral palsy. They were waiting for an ambulance to come and did not make it to safety, Mr Mitchell’s daughter, Hajime White, told The Washington Post.

Shari Shaw told KTLA that she tried to get her 66-year-old brother, Victor Shaw, to evacuate on Tuesday night but he wanted to stay and fight the fire. Crews found his body with a garden hose in his hand.