It’s one thing to see L.A. wildfires on the news and in social media. It’s another to see the destruction and heartbreak in your own neighborhood.
The Broke Agent, who lives in the area, has seen plenty of SoCal agents going above and beyond to help their fellow residents in any way they can.
People love to take shots at real estate agents. Feels like they are often the public punching bag. But during these devastating fires in Los Angeles, I’ve seen so many agents step up in incredible ways. They’re offering temporary housing, organizing donation drives, calling for…
— The Broke Agent (@TheBrokeAgent) January 13, 2025
To aid in this response, we’ve compiled a resource list with links and contacts for emergency aid, insurance claims, donations, and volunteer opportunities.
Share these resources with the people you serve, whether you live in the impacted areas or far away from them. There’s plenty of good you can do remotely, too.
General Resources
Resources for tracking the fires and their impact:
- CAL Fire
- Watch Duty
- Air Quality Updates
- Evacuation Guide
- Real-time updates, shelters, and safety tips
- Real-time Traffic Maps
- Information on Power Shutoffs
Resources for Residents Impacted by L.A. County Fires
Agents can also provide the following information to the people in their communities, including those impacted by the fires as well as any who are taking action to help those impacted.
Insurance Claims
In addition to contacting your homeowner or rental insurance company, residents can also consult an insurance advocate to help navigate property insurance claims.
Resources from the California Department of Insurance:
- Top 10 Tips for Wildfire Claimants
- Don’t Get Scammed After a Disaster
- Residential Property Claims Guide
- Home Inventory Guide
- Tips to Avoid Being Victimized by an Insurance Scam
- Evacuation Checklist for Policyholders
- Top 10 Tips for Finding Residential Insurance
- Residential Insurance Contact List
- Coverage for Flood, Mudflow, Mudslide, Debris Flow, Landslide, or other Similar Event After a Wildfire Fact Sheet
*Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese versions of the above guides can be found here.
Additional claims resources:
- Insurance workshops are taking place on the weekends of January 18-19, 2025, and January 25-26, 2025.
- Application for Reassessment of Property Damaged or Destroyed by Misfortune or Calamity
Mortgage Assistance
Banks like JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America are offering to ease mortgage repayment conditions for L.A. County residents impacted by the fires. Chase Home Lending, for example, is providing disaster forbearance tailored to customer needs, allowing them to temporarily pause repayments or pay smaller amounts. Other lenders in the area may have similar relief programs.
Fannie Mae released a statement reminding homeowners, renters, and mortgage servicers of disaster relief options, urging homeowners to contact their mortgage servicer for assistance as soon as possible.
New American Funding is offering forbearance assistance to those who lost their homes due to the wildfires, along with assistance for insurance carrier and policy information.
Temporary Shelter / Rental Information
- Airbnb and 211 LA
- DisasterAssistance.gov “Immediate Needs” page—with links for American Red Cross, housing and homeless services (The Salvation Army), resources for homeless veterans, and local agencies providing shelter and emergency assistance
- A real-time list of shelters available to California residents impacted by the wildfires, along with their location, status, and overnight occupancy count.
- The local hotel association’s list of hotels in and around L.A. with available space and discount information for fire victims and evacuees.
- Apartment List
- AvantStay
- PadSplit
- RentSpree
- Pacaso
Food Assistance
- LA Regional Food Bank: Visit online or call 323-234-3030 for food assistance.
- Salvation Army: Visit online or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2796) for food, clothing, and essential supplies.
FEMA (Disaster Relief Funds)
Three ways to register for FEMA assistance:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
- Through the FEMA app (mobile devices)
- Call the FEMA helpline at 1-800-621-3362 4:00 am to 10:00 pm PST. Help is available in most languages.
To learn more, watch a video on how to apply for FEMA assistance.
Displaced Pets
- Emergency Animal Shelters
- LA Animal Services
- RedRover Relief Program
- Pasadena Human Society
- Wings of Rescue and Best Friends Animal Society—transporting dogs rescued from the fires to the nation’s largest no-kill animal sanctuary in Kanab, Utah.
Mental Health Support
- LA County Department of Mental Health: Free 24/7 counseling at 1-800-854-7771 or text “LA” to 741741
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): Call 1-800-950-NAMI (1-800-950-6264) for emotional support and guidance
- Mind-1-1 put together a list of therapists and providers offering free short-term mental health services. See it here.
Small Businesses
Job Loss
If you’ve lost your job due to the L.A. County fires:
- Apply for benefits through the State of California
- Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DisasterAssistance.gov)
Documents and Certificates
Los Angeles County residents can obtain property and vital records at no cost:
Tax Relief
- The IRS announced tax relief for those impacted by L.A. wildfires.
Attorneys for Fire Victims
- Fox Law Fire Attorneys are hosting an information session on navigating the wildfire recovery process on Saturday, January 18th. More information can be found here.
How you can help
Donations
- Los Angeles Fire Department
- American Red Cross
- LA Regional Food Bank
- United Way of Greater Los Angeles
- Wildfire Recovery Fund
- California Fire Foundation Wildfire & Disaster Relief
- Direct Relief: California Fire Relief
- Southern California Forest Fund
- Pasadena Community Foundation: Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund
- Ventura County Wildfire Relief & Recovery
- Compass Cares Wildfire Relief Fund (gofundme)
- Coldwell Banker (Facebook)
- Keller Williams—KW Cares
- The Agency
- Airbnb.org (to provide housing for displaced survivors)
- Seconds Market (Clothes Donation Match Program)
Volunteer
- National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster: California Wildfire Response
- YMCA LA
- L.A. Works
- Los Angeles Regional Food Bank
- Habitat for Humanity Greater Los Angeles
- It’s Bigger Than Us
- Best Friends Animal Society
- Hollywood Food Coalition
- Baby2Baby
- Additional volunteer opportunities can be found on the Los Angeles Times’ list
How Agents are Stepping Up
Real estate agents are offering help and support in more ways than one—donating, volunteering, and helping those in need find shelter.
In addition, the Real Deal shared a letter signed by more than 45 top Los Angeles agents—led by The Agency’s Ben Belack and Jason Oppenheimer of The Oppenheimer Group—urging California Governor Gavin Newsom, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, and regulatory agencies to loosen regulations in the L.A. fire rebuild efforts to accelerate recovery.
The letter breaks down five specific proposals aimed at providing relief for impacted property owners.
Reminder: Some will try to capitalize on the situation and set up fake donation sites and GoFundMe accounts. Here, we’re including only resources we know of and trust. But we don’t pretend to know about all the legitimate donation opportunities available.
Do you know of a resource that should be added to the list? Email it to vanessa@nowbam.com.
This Simple Instagram Post Generated 97 Comments (and a Month of Content Ideas)