Nina Dobrev Feels Guilty that Her L.A. Home Survived Fires

Nina Dobrev is reflecting on the devastation caused by the Los Angeles wildfires — and is encouraging her fans to do the same.

Dobrev, 36, shared in an Instagram post on Sunday, January 19, expressing her deep concern over the recent tragic events in Los Angeles. She conveyed her distress over the widespread destruction and displacement caused by the devastating fires that have impacted numerous families. Dobrev’s heart aches for all those affected by these wildfires.

Like many others, Dobrev was compelled to evacuate her home amidst the wildfires that ignited earlier in the month. She left her residence on January 9, coincidentally on her 36th birthday.

Reflecting on her unexpected birthday experience, Dobrev acknowledged that the situation was far from what she had envisioned. Despite this, she chose to address her followers through a video, expressing gratitude for their birthday messages and putting forth a request. Dobrev confessed to grappling with feelings of survivor’s guilt, a sentiment shared by others in similar circumstances.

Dobrev noted that her home was “close to one of the fires,” but ultimately “made it.” She added, “But so many others were not so lucky.”

Dobrev encouraged her followers to donate, linking a spreadsheet in her bio that highlights the GoFundMe links of “many of the families” who lost their homes.

“What people really need right now is financial aid to help them get back on their feet and start rebuilding their lives and their homes,” she said. “The Pacific Palisades, the Altadena-Pasadena community, in particular, needs it the most.”

For her birthday, Dobrev donated to the GoFundMe pages and said she “would love it” if her followers could do the same gesture — small or big donations.

“I put myself in the shoes of all these people whose homes have burned down to the ground with their belongings, their memories, their everything that made them feel safe in the world now gone, and their insurance dropped them,” Dobrev said. “For some of them, the level of tragedy is immeasurable and it’s really hard to comprehend. They’ve lost everything.”

Dobrev said her heart has broken into “a million pieces” for the families impacted by the fires. Dobrev concluded her video by sharing that she was thinking of those affected, saying, “My thoughts and prayers go out to you all.”

“The devastation in LA is immeasurable and heartbreaking 💔 This is my plea to help. For my birthday, my only wish this year is that you help a family in need,” Dobrev captioned her post. “I’ve donated to the families on the Google doc that is linked in my bio. If you have been seeing all of the pictures and videos online and if you want to help too, please consider donating as well. There is a dedicated section for the black families & other historically marginalized groups in the Altadena community who have been hit especially hard.”

She concluded, “Thank you for your support always, but especially now. The road to rebuilding and healing for so many families who have lost everything starts now, and it will be a long one… ❤️‍🩹 #LosAngelesfires.”

Check the LAFD website for local wildfire alerts and click here for resources on how to help those affected.