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Resources for California fire victims were scattered. So I created this site to help.

California fire victims
FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images

A firefighter helps an Altadena resident carry salvageable belongings from his home burned and ravaged by the Eaton Fire, January 20, 2025 in Altadena, California.

The LA Disaster Recovery Handbook collects information about assistance at the local, state and federal level -- all in one place.

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Like many across the United States and especially those who live and have ties to Los Angeles, I grew despondent over the rapid scale of destruction, death and injury that historic fires, dry conditions and near 100 mile per hour winds did in a matter of hours and days. At the time of this writing, the fires are not out, and the most dangerous warnings continue. The most fundamental question that knows no politics or social class between rich and poor impacted is what will it take to put out the fires right now and how do we support Southern California?

And while that question needs to be answered and activated by our governmental leaders, I began to think, what can I do to help those already or will be impacted? An answer came when a friend called in the early days of the fires saying another mutual friend had lost their home in the working-class neighborhood of Eaton and didn’t even know where to go for short-term housing or financial relief. To help him, I began to search online for disaster resources and financial aid. And the good news is that I found a significant amount of relief now available, since Greater Los Angeles was declared a disaster area.

FEMA, California State and Los Angeles County have a significant amount of aid and recovery resources available to all impacted – from those who lost homes and possessions to those who will lose jobs and income, to even those who lost vital medicine and groceries in the fridge from mere power outages. The problem, however, was the information, links and application processes were as dispersed across multiple governmental web sites as the embers flying over LA and overwhelming to navigate for me calmly sitting thousands of miles away let alone for someone who has experienced the mind numbing loss of everything.

As a result, the www.LAdisasterrecoveryhandbook.org was created by coalescing in one site as much of the information and links for aid as possible from FEMA, California State and LA County. This is not a government initiative but rather one done for the community by a community member with deep ties to Los Angeles, in cooperation with local business executives, the Ad Council, and in consultation with and recognition in its usefulness by FEMA. The online handbook is organized by order of priority for someone experiencing losses:

File Insurance Claim & Apply for FEMA Assistance

Money for Essentials

Housing

Loss of Employment & Income

Disaster & Tax Relief for Individuals/Businesses

Business Disaster Low Interest Loans

General Business & Industry Loans

More LA County Resources

More California State Resources

California Disaster Preparedness

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families

Disaster Legal Services

University and Career School Students and Parents


For those of you who know someone in need or have friends in your social network impacted, please share www.ladisasterrecoveryhandbook.org There is actionable information that can help all of those who have lost loved ones, thousands more who have lost homes and businesses and the millions of untold Southern California residents who will suffer economic and job losses, mental health impacts and harmful air exposure threats for the foreseeable future. Godspeed to all who are suffering, and I hope this access to help provides hope and needed assistance.


Michael Dru Kelley is a writer, media entrepreneur and a cofounder and a principal LGBTQ+ shareholder of equalpride, publisher of The Advocate. In addition, Michael has been an experienced volunteer following disasters and terrorist events including running the food tent feeding recovery workers in the weeks after 9/11, working at food banks after Sandy and helping Asheville community members recover from Helene. For the current LA fire victims, he consulted with FEMA and collaborated with the Ad Council to create the www.ladisasterrecoveryhandbook.org His opinion pieces represent his own viewpoints and not necessarily those of equalpride, or its affiliates, partners, or management.


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