Emergency Assistance

Emergency Assistance Resources

California State Board of Equalization Disaster Relief Information
https://www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/disaster-relief.htm

California Department of Social Services Disaster Help Center
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/disaster-help-center

Los Angeles County Emergency Resources Information
https://lacounty.gov/emergency/

See a real-time list of open shelters is available at CalOES.

Find shelter locations on redcross.org, the free Red Cross Emergency app, or by calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767).

The Salvation Army operates shelters and provides emergency housing for those fleeing fires. Contact them at https://socal.salvationarmy.org/southern-california/.

World Central Kitchen is distributing free hot meals to the public at 20+ locations across Southern California in response to multiple active wildfires near Los Angeles. For the most up to date information please visit https://wck.org/news/meal-locations-ca.

Airbnb has partnered with LA 211 to offer free temporary residence to LA Fire victims. If you or someone you know needs support, visit https://www.airbnb.com/e/lawildfires and complete 211 LA’s intake form.

Teladoc Health is offering free, 24/7 virtual medical care to Southern California residents, first responders and others impacted by the fires. They are also providing assistance with prescription refills for non-narcotic medications. Get assistance now by calling (855) 225-5032 or by visiting Teladoc’s Website at: https://www.teladochealth.com/info/disaster-hotline.

Relief assistance for small businesses is available through the federal Small Business
Administration (SBA).

If you lost your job due to the fires, apply for benefits through the State of California.

Be cautious of scams, inexperienced builders, and out-of-state adjusters unfamiliar with California laws. No need to be fearful of everyone and everything, but approach situations with a healthy amount of skepticism and ask questions

FEMA

• Register with FEMA immediately even if you do not plan on pulling funds from them.
• Many retailers offer discounts for those who have lost their homes, but you will need a FEMA number to access these discounts.
• To submit an application, go to USA.gov which provides a breakdown of how to apply for disaster assistance with FEMA. This can be done with an online application, using the FEMA app, over the phone or in person at a Disaster Recovery Center. Refer to the link provided for details on these application methods.
• To submit a FEMA application, you will be required to provide information such as social security number, insurance information, description of the damages, annual household income, contact information, and bank account information for direct deposit.
• You may also be eligible for tax relief amidst a federally declared disaster. Learn more about that through another USA.gov article here.
• Assistance for temporary housing is available through FEMA’s Individuals and Households Program. FEMA is offering displacement assistance allowing up to 14 days of housing for impacted residents who qualify. Additionally, you could qualify for several months of rental assistance.
• FEMA will remove the debris from your property at no cost, but it takes time. Most insurance policies have provisions which allow you to hire a private company remove the debris. Several clients have indicated that the private companies took just as long as FEMA, and paying private companies eats into your settlement amount.