Federal Response to the California Wildfires
How do I?
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Apply for Assistance
Find out what assistance is available to help you recover. |
How do I help?
What you can do to assist those affected by the wildfires. |
DHS/FEMA continues to work side-by-side with state officials and other federal partners engaged in the recovery efforts to multiple wildfires burning across Southern California.
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Other Government Information and Assistance (Source: USA.gov)
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Health and Safety (Source: HHS)
What Federal Government is Doing
President Bush has issued a major disaster declaration for California and ordered greater federal aid to supplement state and local response activities in the affected areas. Federal resources began mobilizing as early as Sunday, October 21, and authorized federal funds to reimburse the state for certain costs incurred under FEMA’s Fire Management Assistance Grant Program. Under those grants, FEMA pays for 75 percent of the state’s eligible fire-fighting costs. Eligible costs include equipment, supplies, and emergency work evacuations, shelters and traffic control. A major disaster declaration for California was granted Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2007, for seven affected California counties (Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura).
FEMA Registration
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The registration deadline was Jan. 9, 2008. Applicants needed:
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Social Security number
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Address of damaged residence
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Description of damage
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Insurance info
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Contact phone number and address to receive mail
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If direct deposit is preferred, provide bank routing info.
- After registering, residents can continue to get important information by calling the FEMA Helpline (1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585).
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As of close of business on the application deadline day, Jan. 9, 2008:
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FEMA had processed 19,154 registrations
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Internet Registrations were at 32.5 percent
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Housing Assistance Disbursed: $9.4 million
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Other Needs Assistance Disbursed: $3.7 million
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Households approved for assistance: 1,900
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Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers (MDRC)
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11 Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers deployed and 5 more deployed from Ft. Worth (TX) on October 30, 2007
Assistance Centers
San Diego County
Rancho Bernardo Glassman Recreation Center at 18446 West Bernardo Drive, Rancho Bernardo.
Hours: Monday- Friday- 8 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Saturday 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Closing December 21.
Ramona Community School at 1710 Montecito Road, Ramona.
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Closing December 21.
Fallbrook Community Center at 341 Heald Lane, Fallbrook.
Hours: Monday - Friday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Closing December 21.
Home Inspections
As of Jan. 9, 2008:
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Housing inspections issued: 8,066
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Housing inspections completed: 8,040
CRISIS COUNSELING PROGRAM
FEMA and HHS are providing technical assistance to the state as they develop their grant application.
Safe and Well Total Statistics for San Diego and San Bernardino counties:
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Registrations: 2,036
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Meals Served: 361,292
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Fixed Feeding Sites: 46
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Mobile Feeding Units: 63
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Shelter Overnight Stays: 30,888
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Comfort Kits Distributed: 24,067
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Cleanup Kits Distributed: 10,867
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Total ARC Workers: 5,359
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Total ARC Volunteers: 4,827
Personnel actively engaged in the area of operation:
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Approximately 248 Active Duty and approximately 65 DoD civilians
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Approximately 2,738 National Guard (about 17,295 CA National Guard personnel are available for duty)
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On 29 Oct 07, the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) equipped C-130 aircraft flew 10 sorties, dropping 27,000 gallons of fire retardant, against the Poomacha fire. To date, a total of 74 MAFFS sorties have been flown encompassing 205,452 gallons of fire retardant.
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Approximately 520 Marines will remain on 24-hour prepare to deploy order status through the fire season.
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Approximately 2,738 National Guard (about 17,295 CA National Guard personnel are available for duty)
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (HHS)
Center for Disease Control (CDC)
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Urging resident during a power outage, never use generators, grills, or other gasoline-, propane-, or charcoal-burning devices inside your home, garage, or carport or near doors, windows, or vents.
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Make sure your water supply is safe by following recommendations from your state or local health department for boiling or treating water in your area. When power goes out, water purification systems may not be functioning fully. Safe water for drinking, cooking, and personal hygiene includes bottled, boiled, or treated water.
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Throw away any refrigerated food that has a temperature of more than 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a digital quick-response thermometer to check the temperature of your food right before you cook or eat it.
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Only use a flashlight for emergency lighting. Due to the extreme risk of fire, do not use candles during a power outage.
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CDC recommends that employers and employees take protective steps if they are in contact with or in proximity to power lines, electrical components, and the moving parts of heavy machinery. As power returns after an outage, people at work may be at risk of electrical or traumatic injuries as power lines are reenergized and equipment is reactivated.
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For more information www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/poweroutage/
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Call 1-800-CDC-INFO
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA)
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The USDA Forest Service (FS), in conjunction with other responding interagency state and federal agencies, is mobilizing five Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) teams.
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USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is dispatching Damage Survey Assessment (DSA) teams to the burn areas to determine damage to natural resources, including impairments to watersheds as a result of the fires.
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The Disaster Food Stamp Program was approved on Oct. 26, 2007. The program allows people who ordinarily might not qualify for food stamp benefits to be eligible if they had expenses related to protecting, repairing, or evacuating their homes; or if they lost food or income as a result of the disaster. For more information on the Food Stamp Program and USDA, visit www.fns.usda.gov/fsp or call 1-800/221-5689.
Donations
FEMA is urging those who want to help people affected by the fires in California to make cash donations to nonprofit organizations that are active in disaster work. A list of national organizations involved in disasters can be found at www.nvoad.org and at the Network for Good's Web site at www.networkforgood.org.
Officials said that cash donations allow voluntary organizations to both obtain goods and services locally and for some to issue direct financial assistance to victims so they can meet their needs. They also allow agencies to avoid the labor-intensive need to clean, sort, package, label, and store donated goods. Donated money avoids, too, the expense of ground or air transportation that donated goods require.
People who want to help are urged to contact a registered relief organization to see if they can provide assistance through that organization. People going on their own to a disaster site can disrupt life-saving response operations. A good Web site to find organizations that are working in the disaster can be found at www.helpindisaster.org.
Voluntary organizations provide a wide variety of services after disasters, such as clean up, child care, housing repair, crisis counseling, sheltering and food. To find out what voluntary organizations are working in the impacted areas, and how to direct a cash donation to them, should go online at www.nvoad.org.
You can also donate via telephone to the state of California:
1-800-RED-CROSS (733-2767)- For Individuals/Companies
1-800-750-2858- For Bulk Donations
Volunteering
Volunteering through an organization provides a better chance of insurance and liability protection. There are many tasks to do after a disaster - cleaning up and rebuilding are two of the biggest. Both voluntary agencies and the local government may be aware of opportunities for volunteer labor in the long and difficult recovery phase. Watch the local media carefully to see what volunteer coordination efforts are being organized. Often the Volunteer Center in the area is an excellent source of information about volunteer opportunities after a disaster.
In the immediate disaster response period there are often many people wanting to volunteer at the same time. Remember to be patient. It may not be perfectly clear until a few days after the incident how a volunteer can get involved. There are often greater needs for volunteer help when the community enters the long-term recovery period. Also, note that volunteers should plan to be as self-sufficient as they can be so that they are of little, if any, burden on the disaster-affected community.
Also, before the next disaster strikes, consider getting some disaster training. You will be in a better position to find meaningful volunteer work at the time of a disaster.
Volunteer Agencies
Citizens in the affected area are urged to continue to listen for messages from state and local emergency officials and be aware of evacuation and sheltering orders in their communities.
Recovering from Disaster
Recovering from a disaster is usually a gradual process. Safety is a primary issue, as are mental and physical well-being. The following is general advice on steps to take after disaster strikes in order to begin getting your home, your community, and your life back to normal.
- What health and safety guidelines should I follow?
- What precautions should I take when returning home?
- What if my home or property was damaged or destroyed?
- How do I cope with the emotional effects of a disaster?
- How can I help children cope with the emotional effects of a disaster?
- Specific fire recovery information
Rebuilding After A Wildfire
Returning to your fire-damaged home will undoubtedly be an emotional experience. But as you go about the task of rebuilding, there are many ways to rebuild safer, stronger, smarter and more resilient to wildfires. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has teamed with Firewise Communities, the Federal Alliance for Safe Housing, and the Institute for Business and Home Safety to provide information about rebuilding after a fire. Strategies for preventing future damage include:
- Consider using materials such as Class-A asphalt shingles, slate or clay tile, metal or cement, and concrete products for roof construction.
- Construct a fire-resistant sub-roof for added protection.
- Use fire resistant materials such as stucco or masonry for exterior walls.
- Prevent sparks from entering your home through vents by covering exterior attic and underfloor vents with wire mesh no larger than 1/8 of an inch.
- Keep your gutters, eaves, and roof clear of leaves and other debris.
Learn more about rebuilding after a wildfire.
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