2021 Wildfire Incidents

Financial Assistance

Due to the multiple fires in 2021, the state and federal government have made financial assistance available. Click below to learn more.

Federal Disaster Assistance

DR-4619-CA

FEMA announced federal disaster assistance has been made available to the state of California to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by wildfires from Aug. 14 and continuing.

Federal funding is available to the state, eligible local and tribal governments and certain private nonprofit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities in El Dorado County.

Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.

Individual Assistance is under review.

DR-4610-CA

FEMA assistance may be available for uninsured or underinsured primary residences damaged or destroyed by recent wildfires in the following counties:

  • Lassen
  • Nevada
  • Placer
  • Plumas
  • Tehama
  • Trinity

Survivors should contact their insurance carriers first before registering with FEMA.

Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured personal property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.

The registration deadline for DR-4610-CA is Monday, November 8, 2021. 

How to register for Federal Disaster Assistance for DR-4610-CA:

Californians can apply for FEMA assistance three ways:

  1. Visit DisasterAssistance.gov
  2. Download the FEMA App
  3. Call the FEMA Helpline at (800) 621-3362 (TTY (800) 462-7585)

Open 4 a.m. to 8 p.m. PDT, 7 days a week

After registering, you can set up an account to check your status, view messages from FEMA, update your personal information, and upload important documents. You can create an account by visiting disasterassistance.gov

Individual Assistance Applications Approved for DR-4610-CA

Learn more about the number of Individual Assistance applications approved and the Individual & Households Program dollars approved for the Dixie and River Fires here.

September 22, 2021: FEMA Inspections Begin in Counties Impacted by Wildfire

Disaster Unemployment Assistance

Californians in Lassen, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Trinity, and Tehama counties who have been impacted by wildfires that started in July and August 2021 can now file for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA). The California Employment Development Department (EDD) administers these benefits, which are available to workers, business owners, and self-employed individuals who lost their jobs or businesses, or had their work hours reduced due to the ongoing wildfires. Deadline to apply has been extended to November 30,2021. Learn more here.

State Employee Assistance

As a state employee, if you or a family member are impacted by the fires in California, you may be eligible to receive state benefits. As a reminder, state employees can find information on fire resources on EAP website home page at here and can call EAP toll free number (1-866-327-4762) to access services any time of the day or night.

Information Sheet: Resources for State Employees Impacted by Recent Fires (PDF)

  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
  • Administrative Time Off (ATO)
  • Leave of Absence (LOA)
  • Catastrophic Leave – Natural Disasters
  • Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA)/California Family Rights Act (CFRA)
  • State Disability Insurance (SDI)/Paid Family Leave (PFL) & Non-Industrial Disability Insurance (NDI)
  • Savings Plus Accounts (401k/457b)
  • Magellan Wildfire Resources
  • Group Legal Services Insurance
  • VSP Vision Care
Small Business Administration

Low-interest federal disaster loans are available to California businesses and residents affected by the Oak Fire that began July 22, 2022, announced Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman of the U.S. Small Business Administration. SBA acted under its own authority to declare a disaster in response to a request SBA received from Gov. Gavin Newsom’s authorized representative, Mark Ghilarducci, on Aug. 6, 2022.

The disaster declaration makes SBA assistance available in Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties.

Businesses of all sizes and private nonprofit organizations may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory and other business assets. SBA can also lend additional funds to businesses and homeowners to help with the cost of improvements to protect, prevent or minimize the same type of disaster damage from occurring in the future.

For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations of any size, SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic injury assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any property damage.

Disaster loans up to $200,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $40,000 to repair or replace damaged or destroyed personal property.

Interest rates can be as low as 2.935 percent for businesses, 1.875 percent for private nonprofit organizations and 1.688 percent for homeowners and renters with terms up to 30 years. Loan amounts and terms are set by SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

Applicants may apply online, receive additional disaster assistance information and download applications at https://disasterloanassistance.sba.gov/. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services. Completed applications should be mailed to U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX  76155.

The deadline to apply for property damage is Oct. 10, 2022. The deadline to apply for economic injury is May 9, 2023.

Learn more here: SBA Offers Disaster Assistance to California Businesses and Residents Affected by the Oak Fire

CalFresh Benefits

Did you live or work in an area impacted by wildfires? Get help with #DisasterCalFresh emergency food benefits. Deadline to apply is Tuesday, October 26, 2021.

It’s easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Apply for Disaster CalFresh by calling 1-877-847-3663 (FOOD).
2. Complete an interview with your county.
3. Pick up your EBT card.

Learn more at BenefitsCal.com and MyBenefitsCalWIN.org.

Debris Removal

The State's Consolidated Debris Removal Program has two phases:

In Phase I, local government, state and federal agencies have organized teams of experts and contractors to inspect the property and assess, make safe, and/or remove any household hazardous waste that may pose a threat to human health, animals, and the environment such as batteries, herbicides, pesticides, propane tanks, asbestos siding, and paints. Phase I is automatic and includes all residential properties that have been destroyed by the fires.

In Phase II, local, state and federal officials will coordinate to conduct fire-related debris removal from the property elected to participate in the State Program by signing a Right-of-Entry Form.

Learn more about those efforts below.

Phase 1: Household Hazardous Waste

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is mobilizing resources at the direction of the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) for emergency Phase 1 cleanup operations to remove Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) from properties impacted by four wildfires this year.

As California faces unprecedented wildfire activity, DTSC is currently working with local governments and state agencies to protect the public by removing HHW such as paints, cleaners, solvents, oils, batteries, pesticides, compressed cylinders and tanks, and easily identifiable asbestos.

Below, Cal OES is providing an update on the work being done to clear HHW from homes impacted by the following fires:

  • Tamarack Fire (Alpine County)
  • Beckwourth Fire (Lassen and Plumas Counties)
  • Dixie Fire (Butte, Plumas, Lassen, Tehama Counties)
  • Lava Fire (Siskiyou County)
  • Cache Fire (Lake County)
  • River Fire (Nevada and Placer Counties)

The public can track the progress of statewide wildfire hazardous waste cleanup on a real-time dashboard mapping system. Information will be uploaded as soon as it becomes available.

Learn more here.

Phase 2: Right-of-Entry

In Phase II, Cal OES, CalRecycle, FEMA, and local officials will coordinate through a State Incident Management Team to conduct fire-related debris removal from your property if you have elected to participate in the State Program by signing a Right-of- Entry Form.

El Dorado County

  • Click here for the El Dorado County-specific ROE Form.
  • You can also request a form by emailing CaldorfireROE@edcgov.us or obtain one in person at the Environmental Management Department at 2850 Fairlane Court, Placerville, CA 95667.
  • If you have any questions, please call (530) 621-5101 or (530) 621-5300.

Nevada County

Placer County

Plumas County

Trinity County

Siskiyou County – Antelope Fire

Siskiyou County – Lava Fire

Resources

The State Operations Center is currently activated to its highest level to ensure the coordinated response and recovery efforts statewide to provide California communities the resources they need. Click below to learn more about important information.

Insurance Coverage
September 20, 2021:
 
California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara ordered insurance companies to preserve residential insurance coverage for more than 325,000 policyholders who have been affected by devastating Northern California wildfires across 22 counties. This Order protects those living within the perimeter or adjoining ZIP Code of a declared wildfire disaster regardless of whether they suffered a loss, including the Dixie, Caldor, River, Tamarack, Antelope, McFarland, Monument, Fly, and Cache fires.  
 
“Climate change-fueled wildfires continue to devastate homeowners and communities. My moratorium orders help provide short-term relief as we address the root causes of these ever-intensifying natural disasters,” said Commissioner Lara. “This California law empowers my office to help give people the breathing room they desperately need as they recover. I will both continue to enforce this law to protect consumers and continue working to create long-term solutions.”
 
The Commissioner's ability to issue moratoriums is a result of a California law he authored in 2018 while serving as state senator in order to provide temporary relief from non-renewals to residents living within or adjacent to a declared wildfire disaster.
 
Today’s moratorium order follows Governor Gavin Newsom's six emergency declarations this summer and gives protection from insurance company-initiated non-renewals for one year for residential property insurance policies in ZIP codes within or adjacent to the fire perimeter. Today’s declared moratorium includes Governor Newsom’s July 23, August 5, August 10, August 17, August 30, and September 7 Declarations affecting parts of Alpine, Amador, Butte, Calaveras, El Dorado, Glen, Humboldt, Lake, Lassen, Mendocino, Modoc, Mono, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity, Yolo, and Yuba counties. Consumers’ one year of protection from non-renewal starts on the date of the Governor’s emergency declaration that included the fire affecting them.
 
Today's order protects 325,000 policyholders and is in addition to 25,000 policyholders who were protected in the Commissioner’s moratorium order following the July 23 wildfire emergency in Lassen, Plumas, and Siskiyou counties.
 
Consumers can go to the California Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP Code is included in the moratorium. Consumers should contact the Department of Insurance at 800-927-4357 or via chat or email at insurance.ca.gov if they believe their insurance company is in violation of this law, or have additional claims-related questions.
 

The Commissioner's action is part of a larger solution he is pursuing for consumers and wildfire survivors that includes working to increase insurance protections and market competition to help protect consumers. Commissioner Lara’s actions since taking office in 2019 include:

  • Introduced rules that would allow consumers to obtain their home or business’s “wildfire risk score” from their insurance company and require that they receive credit for actions they have taken to make their properties safer.
  • Created a partnership with CAL FIRE, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), and other state agencies to establish achievable, science-based home-hardening measures would allow more people to qualify for an insurance discount or other incentive.
  • Sponsored new insurance protections signed into law by Governor Newsom — despite opposition from insurance companies — that will mean larger payouts for some claims, less red tape from insurance companies, and more help for people under evacuation orders.
  • Ordered the FAIR Plan, the state's insurer of last resort, to offer a more comprehensive homeowners policy as an option, which a judge recently upheld.

“Protecting consumers is Job One,” added Commissioner Lara, who traveled to 36 counties before the pandemic and held virtual meetings since then to listen to the challenges that consumers have with insurance. “I am using every tool possible to protect consumers in the wake of climate change-intensified natural disasters and to stop bigger losses.”

 
Following Governor Newsom's state of emergency declarations, the Department of Insurance partners with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the Governor's Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), pursuant to existing statute, to identify wildfire perimeters for mandatory moratorium areas. The Department of Insurance will continue to collaborate with CAL FIRE and CalOES to identify additional wildfire perimeters for any fires where there is a declaration of a state of emergency.
 
  • The mandatory one-year moratorium announced today covers 325,000 residential policies in ZIP codes located within or adjacent to the Dixie, Caldor, River, Tamarack, Antelope, McFarland, Monument, Fly, and Cache fires under Senate Bill 824 (Lara, Chapter 616, Statutes of 2018), also known as the Wildfire Safety and Recovery Act.
  • While existing law prevents non-renewals and cancellations for those who suffer a total loss in areas subject to a declared disaster, the new law established protection for those living within or adjacent to a declared wildfire emergency of whether they suffer a loss — recognizing for the first time in law the disruption that non-renewals cause in communities following wildfire disasters. Homeowners who suffered a total property loss have up to 24 months of protection from non-renewal or cancellation.
  • Consumers can go to the Department of Insurance website to find the Commissioner’s Bulletin to see if their ZIP Code is included in this moratorium.
Beware of Fraud and Scams

Survivors should be aware that con artists and criminals may try to obtain money or steal personal information through fraud, scams and identity theft. In some cases, thieves try to register with FEMA using stolen names, addresses and Social Security numbers. FEMA encourages survivors to watch for and report any suspicious activity.

FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance

  • Federal and local disaster workers do not solicit or accept money. Do not trust anyone who offers financial help and then asks for money or personal information.
  • Do not disclose information to any unsolicited telephone calls or e-mails from individuals claiming to be FEMA or federal employees. FEMA will not contact you unless you have called FEMA first or applied for assistance.
  • FEMA representatives will ask for Social Security and bank account numbers when you apply and may ask for it again after you apply. Be cautious when giving this information to others who ask. Scam artists may pose as government officials, aid workers or insurance company employees.
  • Ask to see ID badges. All FEMA representatives carry an identification badge with a photograph. A FEMA shirt or jacket is not proof of identity.

Phony Property Inspections

  • Be wary of unexpected phone calls or visits to your home from people claiming to be FEMA housing inspectors or saying they work for FEMA. FEMA representatives will have a laminated badge and your FEMA registration number.
  • Housing inspectors never charge a fee to inspect your property.
  • Be on alert if somebody asks for your nine-digit registration number. FEMA inspectors will never ask for this information. They already have it in their records.
  • Do not give your banking information to a person claiming to be a FEMA housing inspector. FEMA inspectors are never authorized to collect your personal financial information.
  • No government disaster assistance official will call you to ask for your financial account information. If you doubt a FEMA representative is legitimate, hang up and call the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 to report the incident.

Phony Building Contractors

  • FEMA does not hire or endorse specific contractors to fix homes or recommend repairs. A FEMA housing inspector’s job is to verify damage.
  • Always hire a reputable engineer, architect or building official to inspect your home. An unethical contractor may create damage to get work.
  • When in doubt, report any suspicious behavior to your local authorities.

Bogus Pleas for Post-Disaster Donations

  • Unscrupulous actors may attempt to solicit assistance for disaster survivors by phone, email, letter or face-to-face.
  • Verify legitimate solicitations:
    • Ask for the charity’s name, address, phone number and website. Then, call the charity to confirm that the person asking for funds is an employee or volunteer.
    • Don’t pay with cash.
    • Request a receipt with the charity’s name, street address, phone number and web address, if applicable.

Report Scams, Fraud and Identity Theft

During each disaster, it is important to stay tuned to local media and trusted local and federal social media for current updates about ongoing disasters. If something makes you feel uncomfortable, check with FEMA or local law enforcement to ensure your identity is protected.

Learn more here.

Local Assistance Centers

Local Assistance Centers (LACs) are activated following major disasters to support survivors and businesses that have suffered disaster-related losses or damages. Each center is unique and locally-driven with support from local, state, federal, and non-profit agencies.

Mobile Registration Intake Centers

Mobile Registration Intake Centers are temporary sites to support survivors with disaster information. It offers an optional opportunity for survivors to register for federal assistance, especially those without access to internet or telephone services.

Disaster Recovery Centers

Disaster Recovery Centers offer information on available resources to homeowners, renters and business owners who sustained damage to their properties from the Dixie or River Fires.

Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers Open in Tehama County: October 3-8

R. Wild Horse Ranch 
6700 State Highway 36 W.
Platina, CA 96076
10/3 – 10/4
11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Highlands Resort
41515 State Highway 36 E
Mill Creek, CA 96061
10/5 – 10/6
Open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Red Bluff Community Center
1500 S. Jackson St.
Red Bluff, CA 96080
10/7 – 10/8
Open 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Disaster Recovery Center in Weaverville: September 29

Disaster Recovery Center in Janesville: September 20

Disaster Recovery Center in Chester: September 14

Emergency Preparedness & Evacuations
General Recovery Resources

Requested Support

Presidential Major Disaster Declaration Request
State of Emergency Proclamations
California Governor Executive Orders
Federal Management Assistance Grants

The state has secured FMAGs to support the response to several wildfires in 2022:

California Disaster Assistance Act Public Assistance

On August 20, 2021, Cal OES announced Plumas County will be receiving an advance of $5 million and Alpine County $1 million in California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA) Public Assistance funding. Learn more here.