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Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday that he and his wife would collect donations to replace hundreds of holiday presents for seniors destroyed Monday when an inferno swept a downtown construction site.

Heat and smoke from the raging nighttime blaze set off sprinklers at a nearby building that houses the city’s Department of Aging. Approximately 2,000 gifts that were going to be distributed this week to senior citizens were ruined by water damage.

Via the mayor’s nonprofit charitable organization — the Mayor’s Fund for Los Angeles — Garcetti’s wife, Amy Wakeland, will lead the fundraising campaign to buy replacement presents. She said in a statement that the effort was “intended to show our appreciation for those whose hard work laid the foundation for the Los Angeles we enjoy today.”

“These aren’t luxuries — these are everyday items that can make a world of difference to a senior in need,” she said.

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