Irish bar 'keeping its doors open' to help fellow expats affected by LA wildfires

Donegal bar owner Kevin Kearns (middle)

An Irish bar owner in Los Angeles has said he will keep his business open to help the “strong Irish community” who have been affected by the wildfires that have ripped through the city.

Kevin Kearns, from Co Donegal, has been living in LA for 30 years where he runs the Auld Fella pub and restaurant.

He said he is thankful that while he and others were evacuated from his adopted hometown in Santa Monica, his house and business have survived the wildfires.

The death toll from the wildfires, which started on Tuesday, now stands at 11 while thousands of homes, business, schools and community centres have been destroyed. More than 150,000 pople are still under evacuation orders, while firefighters continue to battle raging wildfires across large pockets of Los Angeles.

Auld Fella pub and restaurant, which will stay open for the "strong Irish community in LA."

“It’s terribly sad” Mr Kearns told the Irish Examiner. “This is not going to be a short-term thing; the destruction is so massive. The infrastructure, electricity, plumbing, everything has been eradicated.

“I’m an evacuee but my home is still standing. I am on the north side close to the epicenter but thankfully I’m ok, but the city is in uproar.

“One fire alone covered more square feet than Manhattan and really it was the wind that caused it. When one spark meets winds of up to 100 miles per hour, it’s a perfect storm. Nothing or nobody is going to be able to stop that”.

has been living in LA for 30 years where he runs the Auld Fella pub and restaurant.

Luke Dexter reacts as he sifts through the remains of his father's fire-ravaged beachfront property in the aftermath of the Palisades Fire in Malibu, Calif. (AP Photo/John Locher)

The winds, however, have started to die down which he said is helping the situation; however, they are expected to pick up again on Monday.

“There are firefighters everywhere now” he said. “They are coming in from Mexico and things are getting better, all the resources have been mobilised.

“The neighbouring states are involved; they are throwing the kitchen sink at this.

“If the winds can stay down until Monday, I think we have a chance to stop this”.

He said his businesses remain open and he is offering help to anyone who needs it.

“There is a strong Irish community here” he said. “The Irish consulate is active in keep people informed and in touch with others.

“They are actors, and writers here from Ireland, it’s a busy city with a lot of Irish in it.

“I have my doors open; we want to be able to help as much as we can”.

Mr Kearns also paid tribute to the firefighters who have put their lives on the line to help others.

“They are risking everything to help others, I have never seen anything like it in my life” he continued.

“Half a million people are displaced and it’s really hard to have the words to describe it. I have to be out and about here, and to keep my staff working.

Fire crews battle the Kenneth Fire in the West Hills section of Los Angeles, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

“Our doors are open, and we are providing a place a place of comfort when so many businesses have had to close. We are an Irish themed business; I’ve lived here for many years and it’s a labour of love for me.

“I first opened my business five years ago and we have survived covid and now this. We just hope that by next week we can start looking forward.”