Center for Consumer Law & Economic Justice

• LA County: Disaster Recovery Centers (open 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM every day). 

• LA Food Bank: food bank locator

• Mutual Aid Network of Los Angeles: list of resource centers

• LA 211: apply for up to a week of free lodging

• Some local hotels are offering special arrangements or discounts to anyone affected:

• Hotel Association of Los Angeles 

• L.A. Times’list of discounted hotel rooms for evacuees

• Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative Housing hub.

• Storage:

• Those impacted by the wildfires can get 30 days of free U-Haul self-storage or U-Box container rentals. 

• LA county guidelines on using RVs for temporary shelter

• No. The Governor has issued an executive order prohibiting landlords from retaliating against anyone who takes in people affected by the fires. The order prevents landlords in LA county from enforcing any lease terms that would interfere with giving shelter to fire victims until March 8, 2025.

• No. Any person or program that requires you to pay a fee to request a benefit or that charges you to help you get the benefit faster is likely a scam. To request a government benefit, go directly to the website of the particular state or federal agency.

• Be careful whenever you get a phone call or text from someone claiming to be from FEMA or an insurance company. Make sure that the person identifies their agency or company, their full name, and their position. If anything they say or write seems suspicious, or if they ask for information they should already know about you, end the conversation. Then look up the number for the agency or company – and you initiate the contact.

• When businesses sharply raise the prices on consumer goods and services to take advantage of increased demand during a disaster, they are engaging in a practice called price gouging. And it’s illegal.

• Under California law, merchants cannot charge more than 10% higher thanthe price that was charged for that item before the declaration of emergency. 

• Report price gouging to the California Attorney General or the Los Angeles Department of Consumer & Business Affairs

• That can be a form of price gouging, too. Landlords generally cannot raise rent more than 10% above the amount that was charged before an emergency. That limit applies to both existing tenants and new leases. 

• Before signing any lease, check the rental history for a property on an established real estate site to see if the price has recently increased above the allowable amount.

• If you think someone is trying to scam you or people you know, or if you believe a business (like an insurance company or utility company) is violating the law, contact the California Attorney General or the Los Angeles Department of Consumer & Business Affairs

• If you have problems that you think may require an attorney, make sure any lawyer you find is legitimate. It is illegal for anyone who is not a lawyer to offer or provide legal services. You can check a lawyer’s license status on the State Bar’s website. Better yet, use the following resources to connect with vetted legal representation:

  • Statewide disaster legal assistance hotline: 888-382-3406

  • Los Angeles CountyLegal Aid Directory

  • Ventura County Legal Aid Directory

• Private lawyers are not allowed to solicit potential clients in person or by telephone or text. They are not allowed to solicit potential clients who have asked not to be solicited. And they may not harass you. Report any violation of these rules to the State Bar. (Non-profit legal services organizations are exempt from this rule.)

• Los Angeles Times - How to spot scams when helping fire victims

• Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative - Consumer Tips and Fraud Prevention

• If your rental unit was destroyed, your lease is automatically cancelled. If your unit was badly damaged and cannot safely be inhabited, you can either end your lease immediately or keep it but not pay rent until the unit is repaired. In either case, your landlord cannot charge you any penalties or fees for leaving and must return your security deposit in full. 

• Unless your lease specifies otherwise, your landlord does not have to reimburse you for the loss of any of your own personal property, provide relocation assistance, or pay your evacuation costs.

• Additional resources:

  • Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative: Landlord-Tenant Q&A

  • Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative: Housing

  • Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative: Small Business Renters Guide

• Start your claim process as soon as possible, even if you have very little information. Claim details can always be updated later, but getting the process started is essential. Many insurance companies are overwhelmed by claims right now and processing times will likely be much longer than usual. Most insurers have apps and online portals you can use to submit claims at any time. You can also call in a claim during business hours. 

• Begin compiling a list of all major appliances and high-value items (such as electronics, jewelry, and musical instruments) that were in your house, with as much detail as possible. Include approximate dates of purchase, model information, and anything you can find online about the current replacement value of those products. 

• Look through your own photos online, and if necessary reach out to friends and family and ask them to send you any pictures (with time and date stamps if possible) that they may have of the inside of your home and specifically of items that were damaged or destroyed. These pictures will be helpful when you need to prove the condition and value of items in your insurance claim.

• Gather any electronic receipts and invoices for any high-value purchases or home renovations conducted in the past 10 years. Many receipts may be available in your old emails. You can also check with contractors or sellers to see if they have copies of old receipts.

• Additional resources:

  • National Association of Insurance Commissioners: What You Need to Know When Filing a Homeowners Claim

  • National Association of Insurance Commissioners: Navigating the Claims Process

  • Disaster Legal Aid Assistance Collaborative: Insurance Claims Guide

  • United PolicyHolders: Insurance Claim and Recovery Help

• It is illegal for insurance companies to cancel homeowners policies for properties in affected areas between January 7th, 2025, and January 7th, 2026. The California Insurance Commissioner has enacted a moratorium on any insurance policy cancellations for any zip code within or adjacent to the perimeter of the Palisades, Eaton, Hurst, Lidia, Sunset, Woodley and Olivas Fires in LA and Ventura Counties

• Additionally, the Commissioner has asked all insurers to pause cancellations of policies initiated on October 9, 2024 or later for at least six months. Unfortunately, the cancellation pause does not apply to cancellations that were finalized within the past 90 days—only to policy cancellations that are still pending.

• In general, utility companies are required to automatically stop billing for any property that has been destroyed. Additionally, most utility companies are required to waive installation fees to have service transferred or reinstated for any customer in the areas immediately affected by the fires. Here are the specific protections the major utility companies have promised:

• Southern California Edison (1-800-250-7339) suspended billing for all customers who live in mandatory evacuation zones. Buildings that have been completely destroyed have been automatically and permanently removed from the billing list. You can and should call to confirm that this has happened. 

• Southern California Gas (1-877-238-0092) customers who lost their home or business will have their current bill and the most recent bill automatically waived. Customers whose homes were not affected by the fires but have had their natural gas service turned off for safety reasons will not be billed during the outage.

• Charter / Spectrum (1-888-369-2408) customers whose TV or Internet equipment was damaged or destroyed during the wildfires will not be charged for those losses. Additionally, Spectrum subscribers can use any nearby Spectrum WiFi hotspot for free.  

• The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (1-800-342-5397) paused billing notices in areas directly affected by the fires. It also encouraged customers facing financial hardship to contact the utility about managing their bill.

• All cable TV and Internet customers in the areas affected by the fires do not have to pay any additional installation fees for 12 months, either to have their service reinstalled or moved to a new location.

• Contact information

• Charter / Spectrum: 888-369-2408

• Frontier: 800-921-8106 or 855-981-4544; service suspension: 855-981-4538.

• SoCal Edison: 800-611-1911 (outage status); 800-250-7339 (loss support)

• SoCal Gas: 877-238-0092

• L.A. Department of Water & Power: 800-342-5397

• Suspend mail and package delivery by placing a mail hold at USPS, UPS, and FedEx

• If your property was destroyed, have your mail forwarded to a family or friend’s house. Mail forwarding generally only lasts a year, so if you do not expect to be able to return to your old address within that time, update your address on file with all of your service providers. Here is a detailed checklist of many of the places you may need to update your address. 

• Additional resources:
  • California Public Utility Commision: Consumer Protections and Resources for Wildfire Victims
  • Los Angeles Times: I was forced to evacuate my home. Do I still need to pay my mortgage, rent, utility bills?

• Bank of America, Citi, JPMorgan Chase, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo are offering a 60 day pause on initiating foreclosures and evictions and a 90-day payment forbearance period for mortgages in the affected areas (see below). 

• During the forbearance period, loan holders will be allowed to skip their regular payments with no penalty or negative credit reporting, although the skipped payments will still need to be made eventually. There is a streamlined process for requesting this deferral that does not require submitting forms or documents. The banks have also indicated they may be able to offer additional relief on a case-by-case basis. 

• These protections are available for properties in the following zip codes: 90019, 90041, 90049, 90066, 90265, 90272, 90290, 90402, 91001, 91104, 91106, 91107, or 93536

• To apply for the forbearance, contact your mortgage servicer. 

• In addition to this program, any homeowner affected by a disaster may be able to reduce or suspend their mortgage payments for up to 12 months. Contact your mortgage servicer and review these recommendations from the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae).

• Fannie Mae has other tips for any mortgage holders living in a disaster zone

• You can apply for up to $770 per household from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) under its serious needs assistance program, which can help you pay for things such as water, baby formula and food. To apply, call 1-800-621-3362 or visit https://www.disasterassistance.gov/You must apply by March 10, 2025 to be eligible to receive this support. Additional federal assistance may become available over time, so periodically check this site for updates. 

• The Small Business Association offers disaster assistance loans to both small businesses and homeowners, at a relatively low interest rate.

• Additional resources:

  • Los Angeles Times: For uninsured fire victims, the Small Business Administration offers a rare lifeline

  • Los Angeles Times: Fire victims can get aid from the feds. How to apply for FEMA and avoid potential scams

  • Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative: FEMA aid

  • Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative: Other Public Benefits

• No, but only if you promptly file a misfortune or calamity claim to request that the county conduct a reassessment of your property. You will qualify for tax relief only if the damage to your property exceeds $10,000 and you file your claim within 12 months. If approved, your reduced tax rate will remain in effect until your property is restored or rebuilt. More information about the program is available here and here

• Generally, if you are on the payroll of your employer and receive a W-2 tax form, then yes. The California Employment Development Department (the state unemployment office) has a resource page for employees seeking disaster-related unemployment benefits. 

• If you are self-employed or an independent contractor, you may have a harder time making a claim for unemployment. You may want to consult an employment attorney or legal aid provider

• Additional resources:

  • Legal Aid At Work: Workers’ Rights After a Disaster

  • Legal Aid At Work: Unemployment Insurance

  • Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative: Employment and Related Benefits

• The California State Bar has a comprehensive guide for getting replacement copies of vital documents. Also see Disaster Legal Assistance Collaborative’s Document and Record Replacement Guide, as well as the Los Angeles Times’ guide.

• Carry your Driver’s License with you at all times. The hardest-hit areas are subject to strict curfews and access controls, and anyone who cannot prove they have a right to be in the area may be arrested. Entrances to affected areas generally have law enforcement checkpoints, and authorities will only let through people who can show proof of residency

  • Palisades Fire: If your Driver’s License does not list the address of your affected property, you must obtain a resident access pass at Lot 3, 1150 Pacific Coast Highway, Santa Monica between 10 AM and 5 PM.  Contractors hired to help with cleanup or repairs must obtain a contractor access pass from the same location, or they will be denied access.

If you can smell smoke or see soot or ash indoors, the air quality in your home is likely unhealthy. You should not consider your house safe to live in until it has been cleaned. If the contamination is severe, it is generally best to hire professional damage remediators. If you choose to do the cleaning yourself, you should wear a N95 respirator, gloves, and a long-sleeve shirt. Buy or build HEPA air cleaners for every room in which you spend significant time during the day, as more ash is likely to seep in for several months after the fire. See this resource guide from the California Department of Public Health.

Unfortunately, no. The ash that remains after structures burn often contains fine particulates of dangerous substances (including lead, arsenic, asbestos, and other toxins), many of which have no scent. Anyone who works or lives near a burn zone should be careful whenever they are within a mile of any burned area, and wear N95 respirators under all of the following conditions:

• When it is windy (wind easily whips up ash particles)

• When a nearby property is being cleaned up or prepared for rebuilding

• When cleaning / dusting inside or outside of a house near the burn zone

These precautions are particularly important for people with pre-existing lung or heart conditions (asthma, allergies, COPD, heart disease, etc.), and people who are pregnant. 

See the following resource guides from the Los Angeles Times on How to remediate smoke damage safely, select an air purifier, make a DIY air filter, and precautions to consider if you are pregnant

You can pick up free N95 masks at your local library or community center. 

Additional resources:

• CDC: Wildfire Smoke Resources/Info

• LA County Public Health Department: Updates: Current Situation on fire exposures and hazards

• California Department of Education: Guidelines for Schools and Wildfire Smoke

• California Department of Public Health: Declaration of a local health emergency in LA County, including a standing order banning the use of air blowing devices like leaf blowers.

Not in or immediately near burn areas – even if you boil it first. Ado not drink noticeis in effect for Pacific Palisades zip code 90272 and adjacent communities that lie north of San Vicente Boulevard, as well as the hardest-hit sections of Pasadena and Altadena. Because the contamination is being caused by the chemicals in ash, the water in this area cannot be made safe by boiling it, and it should not be used. LADWP is distributing water bottles for free to help those impacted.