- Elon Musk deployed Starlink-equipped Cybertrucks to wildfire-affected areas in California following the disaster, which destroyed an estimated 12,000 structures.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk hopped off the sidelines and rounded up a brand-new fleet of Cybertrucks with Starlink to restore internet service to fire-ravaged parts of California.
Musk said in a tweet Sunday that Tesla would be borrowing Cybertrucks meant to be delivered to customers this week and equipping them with Starlink devices to help those in the disaster areas. Starlink is a satellite internet service for homes and businesses operated by Musk’s SpaceX company.
“We are going to position Cybertrucks with Starlinks and free WiFi in a grid pattern in the areas that most need it in the greater LA/Malibu area,” Musk wrote in a post.
The world’s richest man apologized in a post to those who expected their Cybertruck delivery imminently and said they would get a replacement by the end of the week.
In a post on X, Tesla also said that it would be providing housing, meals, and transportation to employees whose homes were destroyed by the wildfires. The company said it had three Cybertrucks in Zuma Beach and Malibu, two in Pasadena, and three with the LA Sheriff’s Department in Altadena—plus a truck bed filled with oranges, bananas, bottled waters, and supplies. Tesla also said it would deploy its mobile power units (MPUs) for charging devices in Altadena & Topanga Canyon. The company has previously sent its MPUs into disaster zones such as North Carolina after Hurricane Helene.
Summary of efforts Tesla has done to support employees & communities impacted by the LA fires
— Tesla (@Tesla) January 12, 2025
Impacted employees (home lost or destroyed by fires) We're covering housing accommodations & supporting employees with transportation & meals.
Superchargers
All our Supercharger sites… pic.twitter.com/GhXwNPEwPl
Tesla did not immediately respond to Fortune’s request for comment. Musk’s philanthropy came after the X owner and Tesla CEO attacked the California government’s response to the disaster. He blamed supposed overregulation on the massive loss of homes, which were among the estimated 12,000 structures destroyed by the fires. Musk said this overregulation “prevented creating fire breaks and doing brush clearing,” and blamed bad governance at the state and local level for a reported water shortage.
Yet, California Gov. Gavin Newsom shot back at Musk by posting a video clip in which Musk asked a firefighter about the water availability in Malibu and the Pacific Palisades, where the fire wreaked havoc. The unnamed firefighter explained that there was water available in reservoirs, although he acknowledged that the water system was stressed by firefighters’ demand for water.
Musk’s attempts to wade into other emergencies have not always been successful. In 2018, when a dozen boys were trapped in a Thai cave due to flooding, Musk built a small submarine to aid the rescue efforts that wasn’t used.
Yet, Musk and Tesla have also made an impact, including in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico by sending hundreds of Powerwall battery systems and a $250,000 donation to help relief efforts.