Featured Image Credit: Anna Moneymaker/Staff / VCG/Contributor / Getty
Elon Musk and SpaceX have promised support for areas affected by fires in Los Angeles in the last day, with Starlink providing service that would prove critical for evacuation and emergency efforts.
Mandatory evacuation orders of over 130,000 individuals due to wildfires has seen Los Angeles thrown into chaos over the past day. As reported by Sky News, estimates from LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone indicate that around 1,000 homes and business have been burned so far in the Palisades fire alone, with more destroyed in the smaller separate outbreaks.
Estimated losses from the natural disaster could go beyond $10,000,000,000 according to analysts from JP Morgan, but one of the most significant losses currently in the wildfires comes from the near-complete removal of signal.
This not only makes reporting on the current situation difficult but it also adds unnecessary challenges to the evacuation effort where getting as many individuals to safety as possible is the primary concern as the disaster continues.
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Thankfully Elon Musk and SpaceX have pledged to provide "free Starlink terminals to affected areas in LA tomorrow morning [January 9]," following a statement on social media platform X.
SpaceX will provide free Starlink terminals to affected areas in LA tomorrow morning https://t.co/hm4k3hAmq2
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 9, 2025
Starlink has already been provided to TV crews - including Fox local news which explained that their service was available only because of Starlink, as all cell service was unavailable in the area.
The difference between Starlink and traditional telecommunications coverage is that the former is operated through satellite connection, and thus remains unaffected by any disruption on the ground. This has allowed it to provide service far beyond the realms of traditional connection, and in situations like this it is incredibly useful.
Replies to Musk's post have praised the SpaceX subsidiary, declaring: "Every time there's a disaster and the world's people need internet, Elon comes to the rescue."
Another adds that "if it wasn't for you, all these people who have been affected by these fires would have no way to communicate. Thank you and keep up the great work!"
This isn't the first time that Starlink has 'come to the rescue' either, as Musk has previously deployed the network to areas of southern Appalachia that were affected by Hurricane Helene in 2024.
Some have criticized Musk's 'politicization' of access to Starlink, however, and others have indicated that while the use of Starlink is good, changes to Musk-owned X have made it much harder to gain real-time information in events like this.
"This app used to have journalists and outlets at the top of trending for emergencies like these now you can barely find anything," said one user on X in response to the lack of information regarding the fires.
Social media platforms play a key part in ongoing news, and many believe that Musk's changes to X - which have also led to an exodus of some media companies - has deteriorated its position within this sphere.
