Commits $600,000 for emergency response, firefighting equipment, and community recovery.

Exactly one month after a rash of fires devastated some of the most recognizable Southern Californian urban centers, Rio Tinto's U.S. Borax, which operates the Boron Mine in the Mojave Desert east of Bakersfield, has donated $200,000 each to the Kern County Fire Department, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank.

Rio Tinto's Boron Mine is operated by U.S. Borax, a subsidiary best known for its packaging touting a "Twenty Mule Team" that would transport borates from the mine through the desert to customers, including the cleaning product that brandishes the slogan. The mine now produces battery-grade lithium as well, the key critical mineral used in rechargeable batteries from cell phones to electric vehicles.

Fires in an especially dry winter in SoCal, paired with the famous Santa Ana winds raging across the state at well over 80 miles per hour in most cases, broke records according to Cal Fire's historical fire statistics based on estimates of structures burned.

Amidst those structures were numerous parked electric and hybrid vehicles bearing lithium-ion batteries, which became their own prolonged mini-infernos due to thermal runaway, a chemical combustion process to which lithium chemistries are prone.

The primary chemical released during a lithium battery fire, considered the most dangerous, is hydrogen fluoride, a highly corrosive and toxic gas produced from the breakdown of the battery's electrolyte that can cause severe burns and lung damage.

The mining company has committed a total of $600,000 in donations to support wildfire relief efforts in the Los Angeles region, providing critical aid to affected communities. The funds will help bolster emergency response efforts, replenish essential firefighting equipment, and assist in long-term community recovery.

"Our thoughts are with everyone who has been impacted by these devastating fires," said U.S. Borax Chief Operations Officer James Low. "Our local communities in Los Angeles and Kern County have supported us throughout our 150-year history in California. This donation is our way to support them in return. Our local Firefighters and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank are doing incredible work in response to the fires, and we are honoured to support their efforts."

"The demands on our firefighters – both physically and mentally – are greater than ever," said Kern County Fire Department Chief Aaron Duncan. "At the Kern County Fire Department, the health and well-being of our team is our highest priority. This generous donation will play a vital role in supporting our efforts to ensure our firefighters have the resources they need to stay strong, both on and off the job. We are extremely grateful for this support, which helps us better care for those who dedicate their lives to protecting our community."

Rio Tinto U.S. Borax remains committed to the communities it has been a part of for over a century. As recovery efforts continue, the company will closely monitor the evolving needs of those affected, including its employees and contractors, to ensure ongoing support where it is needed most.