Thousands of people in four Southern California counties have been evacuated from their homes as wildfires raged through the region over the past week. Some escaped at the last minute, while others lost their homes.
“We just had to run for our lives,” said Leah Potter, one of the residents evacuated during the massive fire on the bridge, which reportedly spread rapidly explode by tens of thousands of hectares within a few hours. People in the area rushed to get away in time.
All in all the bridge, Airport And Line burning have burned more than 100,000 hectares in the past week.
Brooke Palenchar, who lives in the San Bernardino Mountains community of Running Springs, recalled the heat of the flames warming the air around her before she had to flee. An hour later, her home burned down in the Line Fire.
“It’s just gone. That’s it,” Palenchar said. “There was nothing left and it was just lying on the ground… My world just stopped and everything became small.”
If you have been affected by a wildfire in the past week, help is available.
While shelters remain open, people who are forced to evacuate can also get public assistance for lost groceries and other immediate resources. California’s full guide to disaster relief — from replacing vital documents like birth certificates to getting crisis counseling — can be found here .
Counseling services and other resources for people experiencing emotional distress as a result of the wildfires can be found in this guide from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The guide offers information for adults, children, teens, and first responders, all of whom may be dealing with different mental health consequences.
The organization’s Disaster Distress Helpline can be reached at 1-800-985-5990.
The American Psychological Association also has a similar list of resources.
Below you will find a full list of resources, covering immediate needs like finding shelter, as well as things like filing insurance claims and applying for property tax relief.
Shelter for evacuees
The Red Cross has opened several shelters for people affected by the fires on the line, the bridge and the airport.
Los Angeles County:
Orange County:
River area:
San Bernardino County:
The Red Cross does not ask for identification to enter a shelter. You only need to give your name and where you lived before the fire. All disaster relief is free.
The sites offer services such as meals, health services, charging stations and caseworkers to assist with disaster recovery planning and financial assistance for those who qualify. Volunteers and staff are available 24 hours a day.
Stay up to date with disaster relief information via the Red Cross Emergency App. The organization also posts updates on its X account @SoCal_RedCross.
A complete overview of evacuation locations for pets and other animals can be found here for the bridge fire, the airport fire and the line fire.
Food aid
Families and households affected by bushfires can find a full list of food banks providing free emergency food assistance here.
The state Department of Social Services is also offering its public food assistance program to wildfire victims who have been forced to evacuate. You can apply for CalFresh benefits if you’ve been affected here, and you can reach your county’s program for such assistance by calling 1-877-847-3663 (FOOD).
All district offices offering this assistance can be found on this searchable map.
Housing assistance
The U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, provides assistance to people displaced by a government-declared natural disaster.
Information about possible rent subsidies, reimbursements for renting temporary housing in hotels, for example, and other forms of housing subsidies can be found here on the FEMA website.
You can find out if you qualify for a low-interest disaster loan as a homeowner, renter, or business owner by entering your county and other information here to apply through the U.S. Small Business Administration website. More information about how to apply for these loans and what types of loans are available, from covering repair costs to getting help with operational expenses after a wildfire, can be found here.
You can also call the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362.
Assistance with insurance claims
If you are having difficulty filing an insurance claim after a wildfire, or are encountering delays or other issues, you can contact the Department of Insurance by calling (800) 927-4357 or visiting the department’s page for claims assistance.
Wildfire victims can find tips on filing claims and avoiding scams there. There’s also a list of home insurance companies, a list of centers where people can get personal help with claims, and an evacuation checklist for policyholders, among other resources.
Some people may also qualify for a FEMA program that helps people affected by disasters who have no insurance or are underinsured. To learn how to apply and get other information, go here.
Real estate tax reduction
Governor Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Riverside, San Bernardino, Los Angeles and Orange counties due to the wildfires, meaning those affected may be eligible for assistance, including property tax relief.
There are usually deadlines for submitting these applications.
Los Angeles County:
You must file an application with the Los Angeles County Assessor within 12 months of the date your property was damaged or destroyed. The loss must be more than $10,000 of the current market value.
The application form for determining damage or destruction of property can be found here. The application form for reclaiming instalment payments of property tax can be found here.
More information about applying for tax reduction can be found here on the website of the provincial tax inspector. You can contact the tax inspector’s office here.
Orange County:
Applications for property tax relief after a wildfire are made through Orange County’s Treasurer-Tax Collector. The Damage Assessment Application is here , which can lower your property value so you qualify for the relief. And you can defer your next installment of property tax payments by filling out this application.
If it is filed by a date required by the county clerk’s office, payment will be deferred without penalty or interest until the property is reassessed. The county clerk says you can expect a corrected property tax bill at that time and you will have 30 days to pay the revised amount.
“To qualify for a deferral, ‘substantial disaster damage’ for property receiving a homeowners exemption means damage equal to at least 10 percent of the fair market value or $10,000, whichever is less,” according to the OC Treasurer-Tax Collector’s website. “For all other properties, damage must be at least 20 percent of the value. However, property tax deferral is not available if property taxes are paid through impound accounts.”
More information about how such disaster assistance may affect your tax bill and other details can be found on the Treasurer-Tax Collector’s website here.
River area:
Individuals whose property is damaged or destroyed by a wildfire in Riverside County may be eligible for property tax relief through their local Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder.
“In such cases, the appraiser’s office will revalue the property to reflect its damaged condition,” the agency says. “Additionally, if you rebuild it in an equal or similar manner, the property will retain its previous value for tax purposes.”
You must apply within 12 months of your property being damaged or destroyed and the loss must be more than $10,000.
The application form can be found here . More information can be found on the Riverside County Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder website here .
San Bernardino County:
You must file an application for property tax relief through the San Bernardino County Assessor-Recorder-County Clerk within 12 months of the date of damage or destruction. The loss must be at least $10,000 of the current market value to qualify.
“State law provides that if a disaster such as a fire or earthquake damages or destroys your property, you may be eligible for property tax relief through a reappraisal,” the agency’s website states. “This property tax relief is available to owners of real estate, business equipment and fixtures, orchards or other agricultural properties in San Bernardino County and to owners of aircraft, boats and certain manufactured homes — it is not available on property that is not taxable.”
The application form to start the process and have your home revalued can be found here.
