Dear Friends,

This has been a tough week for our community once again. My heart continues to go out to everyone who has been impacted by these horrific wildfires. I’d first like to share my tremendous gratitude for all of our emergency responders who have been stepping up to keep our community as safe as possible, including personnel from across California and neighboring states. 

Your safety continues to be my top priority. I encourage each of you to stay updated on all emergency alerts, and sign up to receive notifications directly from your phone. Please also be prepared with a plan in place and a “go-bag” ready, should you need to evacuate.

Evacuation Orders and Warnings

The latest information on evacuation orders and evacuation warnings based off the specific fire incident may be found at Genasys Protect.

Shelters

Temporary emergency shelters for humans and animals may be found here. Uber is offering free rides for evacuees, up to $40. You must enter the promo code “WILDFIRE25” in the Wallet section of the app before requesting your ride to the designated location. Verizon is also providing free Wi-Fi and charging stations for public use at several of the emergency shelters.

Road Closures

LA County Public Works is offering the latest information on road closures.

Water Alerts

There is currently a Boil Water alert for the Pacific Palisades. Please continue to monitor further alerts about your particular area through your water district’s website.

Schools

Please check with your local school district for the latest information on suspended classes. They may also be reaching out to you directly if they have an update to provide.

Get Involved

There are a number of ways you may get involved to help our region recover from this disaster. If you are willing and able, please consider assisting through the following organizations:

• Salvation Army: The Salvation Army Southern California Division is accepting donations to provide food, personal necessities, and shelter to survivors and first responders.
• California Community Foundation: Accepting donations to provide targeted immediate recovery and long-term support for residents.
• California Fire Foundation: Accepting donations to provide direct support for impacted residents.
• World Central Kitchen: Accepting donations to provide warm, nourishing meals.
• YMCA Koreatown Locations: The Anderson Munger Family YMCA and the Koreatown YMCA Center for Community Well-being are accepting donations of essential items such as unopened food, clothing, blankets, emergency supplies, and pet food.
• American Red Cross: Accepting donations and volunteer sign-ups to help provide shelter, food, emotional support, and health services.
• Set Active: Accepting clothing donations for families affected by the fires. They are asking potential donors to contact them via direct message on Instagram.
• Baby2Baby: Accepting donations to help provide critical items for children such as diapers, food, formula, and hygiene products.
• Canine Rescue Club: Accepting donations to provide temporary foster care for dogs displaced by the fires.

You may also volunteer directly with a nearby temporary shelter. We are also being asked to conserve our water use and stay off the roads unless necessary in order to avoid congesting their use for our emergency personnel.

Insurance

Insurance Commissioner Lara is planning an in-person town hall in the near future where you can have all of your questions answered. The details are still being put together, so please stay tuned for further information to come.

State and Federal Declarations of Emergency

Governor Newsom and President Biden have both declared states of emergency for these fires. This provides additional financial and logistical resources for the ongoing effort by local governments and tribal agencies, and also unlocks individual grant assistance that impacted residents and businesses will be able to apply for.

These times have been incredibly trying for our community, but we are resilient. We will rise out of this together. Please do not hesitate to contact my district office at (310) 414-8190 or my Capitol office at (916) 651-4024 should you have any questions or need further assistance.