Help for those affected by the Los Angeles fires is available from Santa Barbara area hotels and restaurants

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - Many businesses  in the Santa Barbara area are helping those who are displaced by the devastating fires in Los Angeles County.

Several hotels have offered savings and discounts from their normal prices for anyone who is evacuated and needs a place to stay.

There are a variety of locations with offers up to 30% off or as low as $129 a night.

One of them is the Ramada by Wyndham. Director of Sales and Marketing, Drew Wakefield, says the hotel operators are showing compassion and welcome anyone who has gone through the fire tragedy and had to leave their home.

"We need to be hospitable, we need have empathy and by the way we have all gone through it. We have had fires, we have had floods,"  he said. "We have had displacements. Many of us who have lived it breathed it, we understand what they are going through. Our hearts go out to them and anything we can do it and be there for them."

Wakefield also had firefighters from Monterey County arrive after the base camp at the fire scene was full. They were among fire crews getting one day off and heading back.

Division Chief, Scott Anderson, from the Monterey County Regional Fire District had about 20 firefighters on a strike team getting rooms for a shower and a chance to get a hot, local meal.

"With the amount of firefighters that are here at this fire right now the sleeping acomodations at base camp are full and they reach out to hotels," he said. "We also try to keep in mind there are evacuees that are also in need of hotels."    

He said they went further out to keep the other hotels free for the Los Angeles residents. "To drive an hour and a half to two hours away from the fire  to have a day off is not a problem at all."

Two restaurants were also offering discounts for anyone who left Los Angeles because they were affected by the fires.

The Breakwater restaurant at the waterfront and the Shop on Milpas have the same operators. A 20% discount was immediately offered to anyone displaced by the fires.     

The owner of the Ace Rivington store in Santa Barbara Beau Lawrence went on social media to offer those without clothing what he could from his supply. He said with an email to him he would find pants, t-shirts or flannels and send them out at his cost. He realizes some are also trying to get a mailing address if they lost their homes.

For a list of hotels with discounts can be found here.