Apple has pledged to donate $1 million to the wildfire relief effort in California, San Francisco Chronicle reports. The company has also encouraged employees to help individually by promising to match employee donations two-to-one.
Firefighters have been battling the wildfires in Wine Country, California, since Sunday with the death toll reaching 24 people today with 436 people missing and as many as 3500 homes and businesses destroyed.
The wildfires are north of San Francisco and Cupertino where Apple is headquartered, but smoke from the wildfires has also affected air quality south of Napa and the surrounding area resulting in some businesses being shut down and air masks being recommended.
Tim Cook, who is currently overseas visiting partners, presidents, and press in Europe, brought attention to the effort and Apple’s participation in a tweet:
Apple has also made similar donations to relief efforts following other natural disasters including recent hurricanes. Starting with the Hurricane Harvey relief effort, Apple enabled donations through iTunes to the American Red Cross and donated $5 million to the cause. Apple is currently using that space to take donations for the American Red Cross and the Hurricane Maria relief effort.
Our thoughts are with our Bay Area friends & neighbors affected by wildfires. Please stay safe! Apple is donating to aid relief efforts.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) October 10, 2017
