Resources for Recovering

L.A. Wild Fire Series

CAL Fire Map shelters, status updates, map

L.A. City Wildfire Information & Resources

Damage Assessment Map & Resources

Re-entry Map

Road Closures

• PCH Highway 1 from 10 westbound Freeway
• Los Angeles Roads (along Malibu & Topanga Canyon)

American Red Cross

• Get Help
• Stay Safe After a Wildfire
• Disaster Relief & Recovery

Community

What’sApp Palisades community for helping neighbors, coordinating & supporting each other.

Reddit L.A. Fire Relief page.

UCLA Mindfulness Page for Wildfire Resources

Protection

Why You Need to Protect Yourself

Wildfire Dangers – It’s not just smoke. It’s not just ashes from bushes & trees (which alone can be harmful to health). It’s the house, the materials that made up the house (lead, asbestos, formaldehyde, etc.), chemicals from under the sink (bleach, vinegar, ammonia, etc.), e-waste, vehicles, metals, rubber tires, chemicals in the vehicles, plastic, plastic, plastic.

The LAist article states that “smoke managed to penetrate indoors and through cracks underneath doors and windows,” in homes downwind of the fire causing … health disturbances, from headaches to respiratory problems, for weeks afterward.”

“The cleanup could be dangerous — and could stretch over weeks.” Maybe a couple of months. With chemicals hanging in the air for a couple of years. And a few good rains will definitely help wash some of it away.

Take into consideration that there is a difference between being at a burn site, areas nearby a burn site (evacuation & warning zones & those surrounding), or areas affected by smoke & toxic ash (potentially up to 150 mile radius of the burn site). This is also assuming that the fire has been put out (as of today, they have not).

How to Protect Yourself

The Coalition for Clean Air stresses that when there is a current fire, avoid going outside, and wear an N95 mask or better if you do have to go outside. The danger reduces over time. After the fire, ash & toxins take a few days to settle, rain is a temporary aid, & it’s something to be aware of until the clean up crews are finished. If you see ash, treat it like toxic waste.

When cleaning up around a burn site, wear N95 masks, eye protection to reduce eye irritation, long sleeves, gloves, pants, socks, and closed toe shoes. Consider a head covering like the chemical workers: either a hoodie, scarf or a bouffant style hair cap.

Damp cloth wipe & mop hard surfaces. Avoid shaking things vigorously which could scatter dust & ash back up. Thoroughly vacuum (preferably with a HEPA filter vacuum, as the regular one tends to kick the air back up & spread it). Wash what you can in the laundry.

Clean as carefully, and as thoroughly as you can.

Wash your clothes after clean up, and maybe take a shower too.

Housing

LAist has been a great source of information.

The “unforgiving rental housing market” warns displaced families about price gouging 30%-80% increases, and that due to a high demand for temporary housing, finding an available place is quite difficult. They also lean on results in the aftermath of Hawaiian fire on Lahaina, Maui in 2023 as a glimpse of how we can expect things in the wake of the L.A. disaster. Know your housing rights. Report bad characters to the CA District Attorney.

If you are still in an evacuation zone, you can apply for free airbnb housing at 211.

Moratorium on evictions for taking in those displaced from fires, including those with pets, and also for non-payment due to economic hardship as result of fires, through Jan 31, 2025.

Places to stay in Los Angeles from Wildfire Relief Accommodations.

Financial Aid & Relief

FEMA & Disaster Assistance

Disaster SNAP/EBT/Food Stamp – even if you lost food because of lengthy power outage.

Food an ear to talk to through Emotional Support Softline

Small Business Administration SBA Loans for Homes or Business affected by Disaster.

Water & Power

LADWP Do not drink water 90272 & 90402

City of Santa Monica is testing water to ensure safety.

Free Water (for impacted zip codes)

LADWP established two bottled water distribution locations: 

• Veteran’s Barrington Park, 300 S. Barrington, Los Angeles, CA 90049
• Palisades Branch Library, 861 Alma Dr, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

Solar Generators

I trusted HoboTech years ago when researching how to make my e-bike a solar e-bike. [Cliff Notes: charge your lithium battery with a solar power generator.]

He recommended Jackery. A lot of people complain it’s too expensive. I was going for the 300 because of the light weight & affordability. It charges faster, but there is a limit on what you can charge & how long it would take. A higher powered one would be better. My partner bought this Pecron 600 and I was surprised to find it was on HoboTech’s list, because I thought it was a no-name brand.

I haven’t done much research in the area in over 5 years, so I just rely on HoboTech. He also shows you some do-it-yourself tech.

Clean Air

Can I open my windows yet?! AirNow EPA map. If you’re sensitive to particle pollution, and it’s anything but green – I wouldn’t…

AirDoctor was offering air purifiers starting at $120 for those affected by the fires. The two systems they had sold out, but they still had generous discounts instead.

There is a movement of those who consider air cleaners a scam because they charge exorbitant prices for what is essentially a fan with a filter. Air purifiers will help with wildfire smoke. Info on how to pick an air filter from Reddit. I found House Fresh to be an ethical reviewing platform. Smart Air seems to be the most responsible company as a certified B corp business.

Before the fires and COVID, I owned a Colzer. I just bought a BlueAir before researching. After researching, I also bought a Sqair from Smart Air because I like the company and it had a really good rating from House Fresh. Better than BlueAir. There’s also a guy called Engineer Wong who invented AirFanta that House Fresh tested that also seemed promising.

When debris removal begins, air quality [Instagram info video] may change. Check the air quality [map] often. AQI does not register air borne toxins and ash because they are not usually in the air and are expensive or difficult to test for.

Leaf blowers are no longer illegal in Los Angeles except in the burn zones.

If you are having sensitivity to the air, you may have signs such as:

Err on the side of caution. Wear an N95 or P100 mask for protection whenever you step outside if you live near the warning zones.

Disclaimer: Nobody paid me for any of this. It’s just what I found researching.

Index for L.A. Wild Fire Series

West Palisades Fire Jan 7, 2025 – Reiki offering (on-going thru Feb 15, 2025) & ideas to help calm nervous system.

Observers of Ferocious Hand of Fire – Resources during Fire Updates

Inventory in the Aftermath – Feel Your Hurt & Recover

Experience of the Aftermath – A letter of a personal account of a devastating wildfire & step-by-step actions to consider afterwards