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One cleanup volunteer, Arianna Raygoza,<\/strong> said, \u201cMany people we speak with are so moved or shocked that we\u2019re offering help, and it\u2019s clear they have not been asked before. Law enforcement officials are posted on every corner, just sitting in their cars. At best, they just stand back and stare while we\u2019re helping. At worst, they\u2019re treating residents in distress like criminals.\u201d Volunteer Ashli Buts<\/strong> added, \u201cI\u2019ve also observed frustration with the lack of official updates. People want answers and don\u2019t know where to find them.\u201d<\/p>\n Social media has made information and networking instantly available to a massive population, but it\u2019s also brought out the worst in people. I met a woman who was distressed because someone had filmed a video of her nephew helping family members move their belongings out of their home, which had burned down. The video was shared on social media with a caption declaring that Black children were looting. The woman told us she didn\u2019t know what to do now that her nephew had been publicly labeled a criminal.<\/p>\n Profiteers descended on community members almost immediately. People, all of whom told me they wanted to remain anonymous, said they were getting calls from real estate speculators before they even knew the status of their homes. One displaced family, the Figueroas, were staying in a chain hotel full of displaced families when the hotel began jacking up its rates. Missi Figueroa<\/strong> elaborated: \u201cFirst week, it was $116 per night. We wanted to renew and it grew to $186 per night, then four hours later $242 per night. I was so mad because the hotel was full of people who lost everything, like myself.\u201d<\/p>\n Another fire victim I spoke to snuck back into the neighborhood to find their home burned to the ground. She posted a photo on Instagram\u2014which a firm then used without permission for an advertisement. \u201cPeople started sending it to me and friends started calling them out,\u201d she told me. \u201c[The owner] told us he outsources his social media to a company and was mortified. He fired them and then suspended all advertising for the time being and turned off his Instagram. He was quick to make it right.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n