Wildfire Resource Guide

Wildfires are devastating, and while we haven’t personally experienced one ourselves, many of us in Orange County have relatives and friends going through this historic challenge. We’ve also seen many of our neighbors in Orange County open their homes, extending invitations to relatives and friends impacted by the wildfires. Their stories have deeply impacted us, and we want to provide helpful resources and advice to anyone facing similar circumstances. Whether you're preparing in advance, dealing with immediate needs, or seeking longer-term solutions, this guide is meant to offer support during these uncertain and challenging times.

This guide would be helpful to anyone, but some of the resources are specific to Los Angeles County and what they are currently experiencing.

Essential Resources

• Watch Duty App: Stay Safe From Wildfires When Seconds Count Watch Duty, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, alerts you of nearby wildfires and firefighting efforts in real-time.

• Latest Updates:

  • L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath

  • Pasadena Now

  • LAFD: Palisades Fire

  • CA.gov/LAFires

  • Palisades Fire Community Held a Meeting 1/11/2025. CalFire provided updates and resources during the meeting held at Calvary at 5495 Via Rocas and Oaks Gym at 31749 La Tienda R. Watch the recorded live event here: https://www.youtube.com/@calfireimt2390

• Dream Center for food and other essentials. 2301 Bellevue Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90026

• Red Cross Emergency Fire Line: (310) 445-9900

• Masking in Burn Zones: If you’re in burn zones, wear a high-quality N95 mask to protect yourself from toxins. Masks with exhalation valves are often easier to breathe through during long wear.

• Shower and Facilities: Planet Fitness is offering free access to showers, locker rooms, outlets, and Wi-Fi at unaffected locations in Los Angeles County until January 15.

• FEMA Assistance: Disaster Assistance

• LA County Tax Relief: Disaster Relief Info

• California Department of Insurance Consumer Hotline: 800-927-4357 and https://www.insurance.ca.gov

• Calm App: In the midst of your chaos or everyday life—whether you're navigating something historic or facing personal challenges—remember that you don't have to go through it alone. Reach out to your support system, whether it's friends, family, places of worship, or a trusted community. And when you need a moment of quiet reflection, tools like the Calm App can offer meditations, breathing exercises, and soothing sounds to help you reduce stress and find peace. Whatever you're facing, take time to care for yourself and connect with those who care for you.

Evacuation and Animal Shelters

• Evacuation Shelters: Locations including Westwood Recreation Center, Pasadena Convention Center, and others.

  • Westwood Recreation Center – 1350 Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90025

  • El Camino Real Charter High School – 5440 Valley Circle Blvd, Woodland Hills, CA 91367

  • Pasadena Civic Center – 300 East Green Street, Pasadena, CA 91101

  • Pan Pacific Recreational Center 7600 Beverly Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90036

  • Ritchie Valens Recreation Center – 10736 Laurel Canyon Blvd

• Animal Shelters: Facilities in Agoura Hills, Baldwin Park, Carson, and more.

  • Agoura Animal Care Center 29525 Agoura Rd, Agoura Hills, CA 91301

  • Baldwin Park Animal Care Center 4275 Elton St, Baldwin Park, CA 91706

  • Carson Animal Care Center 216 W Victoria St, Gardena, CA 90248

  • Downey Animal Care Center 11258 Garfield Ave, Downey, CA 90242

  • Lancaster Animal Care Center 5210 W Ave I, Lancaster, CA 93536

  • Palmdale Animal Care Center 38550 Sierra Hwy, Palmdale, CA 93550

• Equestrian Support: The Los Angeles Equestrian Center is accepting evacuated horses (818.840.9063).

Temporary and Short Term Housing Resources

• Airbnb Temporary Housing: Airbnb.org offers housing for wildfire-impacted individuals. Learn more here.

• Furnished Leasing Database: Access a live database of furnished leases, many not yet listed online, here.

• South Bay Short-Term Furnished Rentals: Explore options at Sunny California Furnished Rentals.

• Furnished Finder: For short-term rental solutions, visit Furnished Finder.

• Love Living Management: Specializing in furnished short-term rentals in San Diego. Visit Love LivingManagement.

• MLS - If you need specific property information or have any real estate inquiries, feel free to reach out to me directly at 949.482.0073 or connect here—I can supply you with MLS data and details. We will waive our tenant side commissions for wildfire survivors. On that note, be wary of listing agents and price gouging.

Hotel Discounts

Many hotels in Los Angeles and Orange County are offering discounts to evacuees:

• Discover Los Angeles Hotels

• Hotel Association of Los Angeles

• Downtown LA Proper Hotel (Code: Haven)

• The Line Hotel in Koreatown (Code: Gethere)

• Hotel June West LA (Code: Haven)

• Anaheim & Orange County Fire Relief Offers: Capri Suites Anaheim & Sonesta Garden Grove

Volunteer and Donation Opportunities

If you want to help or donate, consider these organizations:

• LA Works

• American Red Cross: Volunteer or Donate

• Team Rubicon 

• World Central Kitchen

• California Fire Foundation

• Saddleback Church Relief Efforts If you or someone you know is in need of help, whether it’s prayer, assistance, or just someone to talk to, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. You can send an email to relief@saddleback.com.

• California Service Corps and YMCA: Volunteer or Donation Opportunities

  • Las Flores TK-8 YMCA is collecting for YMCA Palisades. Items will be delivered personally. Items can be brought to the school. They are collecting:

    • Canned food items

    • New or gently used clothing

    • Water

    • New or gently used blankets

    • Baby supplies

    • Toiletries

    • Pet supplies

• Malibu Surfing Association has several donation sights across SoCal. They are collecting for members of the association and the Malibu community at large. We personally bring items up from South Orange County. Feel free to porch drop or we can pick up. Reach out to us at 949.482.0073. They are collecting:

  • New Clothing, (Needs to be NEW if possible) Women’s, Men’s, Teens, Children and babies.)

  • Care Packages, please try to make a care package if possible:

    • Food Care Packages….non perishable goods

    • For Babies Formula and Diapers

    • Toiletries Care Packages…Soap, Toothpaste/Brush, Shampoo, Conditioner, Lotion, Feminine Hygiene supplies, etc

    • Care Packages for kids and teens…Backpacks- school supplies, books

    • Surfboards and like new wetsuits

    • If anyone has fruit trees or vegetables ( would need to be picked and in box)

    • First Aid Kits

  • Gift Cards, (so they can purchase food, shoes, phones, chargers items they need)

• CalFire Fundraising Print and I love LA Print by @3fishstudios

Advice from Those Who’ve Been There

A friend of mine who has experienced a wildfire shared these helpful tips:

1. Set up a dedicated checking account: Use this for insurance payouts and fire-related expenses.

2. Beware of scams: Verify all assistance offers, as fake FEMA claims are a risk.

3. Take it slow: Focus on small, manageable tasks each day. It’s okay to take your time with big decisions.

4. Start documenting: If you haven’t already done so, make an inventory of lost belongings. Be detailed—it will help with insurance claims. If you are preparing for a potential wildfire, do this now.

5. Network: Connect with others who are going through this process. Sharing experiences can save time and energy.
   
   

Thank you for taking the time to explore our Wildfire Resource Guide. We hope this information proves helpful during these challenging times. If you come across any updates or new valuable resources that should be included, please feel free to reach out to us at 949.482.0073 so we can incorporate them. This page will be regularly updated as the needs and resources evolve.

Stay safe and take care.

How to Prepare for Future Fires

If you’re interested in tips for creating a fire evacuation "go bag" with essentials like N95 masks, medications, copies of important documents, and more, stay tuned for my next post!

Do You Know Your Wildfire Readiness?

Take a survey on wildfire readiness here.