Huntington Beach seafood spot turns into a wildfire relief hub

Lauren Gruel, pictured at right, celebrates having filled another truck bed with community-donated supplies on Thursday. She and her husband Andrew turned their Huntington Beach restaurant into a donation hub to support wildfire victims in Los Angeles. Emma Bowman/NPR hide caption

HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. — Lauren and Andrew Gruel, the husband-and-wife owners of a seafood restaurant in a Southern California surf town, are used to thinking local.

Most of the seafood served up in their Huntington Beach restaurant Calico Fish House is sourced from fishers in the area.

This week, that local ethos has stretched a bit further. About an hour's drive south of the Palisades and the Eaton Fires are raging in Los Angeles, the Gruels have set up their small business to double as a wildfire relief hub. From there, they've been coordinating efforts to get donated goods hauled to their neighbors up north.

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California Wildfires As firefighters battle roaring fires, new evacuations are ordered

The magnitude of destruction in the iconic metropolis is vast. At least 10 people have died in the fires, and authorities say the death toll is likely to rise. Thousands of structures have burned, with countless neighborhood blocks reduced to ash. About 180,000 people have had to evacuate with more than double that under evacuation warnings, according to the LA County Sheriff's Department.

"It tugs at your heartstrings," Lauren Gruel said. "I mean, you could see the smoke in the air from here, and just to think of the devastation that they're experiencing really just breaks your soul."

Calico Fish House, which opened two years ago, is one of the first businesses you see upon arriving in Orange County from LA if you take the scenic route — otherwise known as the Pacific Coast Highway. Many dislocated Angelenos have come down here seeking safety and slightly better air quality, or to stay with family and friends in the area.

Husband and wife Lauren and Andrew Gruel opened up their seafood restaurant Calico Fish House two years ago. Emma Bowman/NPR hide caption

Since the owners put the word out on social media that they would house donations for people affected by the fires, a seemingly endless stream of volunteers has shown up to the restaurant ready to help. Some come armed with supplies; others are stopping by with their trucks and trailers to transport the aid to LA.

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