Disaster Help Center
California Disaster Help and Information Center
This website is designed to provide information and resources regarding public assistance and services available to individuals and families impacted by California wildfires and other natural disasters or emergencies.
Resource Guides to Disaster Assistance
Cash Aid and Food Assistance
CalWORKs is a public assistance program that provides cash aid and services to eligible families that have a child(ren) in the home. The program is operated locally by county welfare departments.
CalFresh issues monthly food benefits on an EBT card that can be used to buy most foods at most grocery stores and farmers markets.
- Click: You can apply for CalFresh Food benefits in 15 minutes by visiting GetCalFresh.org
- Call: You can connect to your local county office by phone by dialing 1-877-847-3663 (FOOD).
- Visit: To visit your local county office, use the online office locator tool at: https:/calfresh.dss.ca.gov/food/officelocator/
For more information: CalFreshFood.org or https://cdss.ca.gov/food-nutrition/calfresh
Current CalFresh recipients: If food you bought with your CalFresh benefits was spoiled as a result of the power outages or destroyed due to fire, you can request a replacement of your CalFresh benefits.
To request a replacement of your CalFresh benefits, contact your county office:
You will need to complete, sign and turn in a 'CF 303' form to request a replacement. Include your contact information and a short description of how your food was lost. Include the time and date of the power outage.
Your request for replacement benefits must be made within 30 days of the power outage (normally this request must be made within 10 days, but the timeline has been extended due to the broad impact of the outages and fires).
Disaster CalFresh
During times of disaster when there has been a Presidential Declaration with Individual Assistance , California may operate Disaster-CalFresh (D-CalFresh) in specific areas to provide a temporary, 30-day benefit to households who may have been impacted by the disaster and are not normally eligible for CalFresh.
At this time, California is not operating Disaster CalFresh.
Food Banks
Food Banks throughout California can provide relief to
families affected by the wildfires by providing them with
emergency food assistance at no cost.
Locate a food bank in your area.
Housing Assistance
County Welfare Departments have funding specifically designated to support families and individuals experiencing homelessness. All counties administer the CalWORKs Homeless Assistance Program, which provides temporary assistance to pay for up to 16 days in a motel to families who are eligible for or receiving CalWORKs assistance. For more information, contact your local County Welfare Department or visit a Local Assistance Center. Most counties also operate a CalWORKs Housing Support Program, which offers longer term housing search and rental supports. For more information about the program, please reach out to your county Housing Support Program contact. The full county contact list can be found here.
County Welfare Departments may have housing supports available to families and individuals experiencing homelessness. Additional information on those programs can be found here.
Unemployment Services
The California Employment Development Department provides a variety of relief and services to individuals and businesses impacted by the wildfire disasters in California. These range from assistance for those who may have lost a job due to the disaster, to employers who are forced to shut down operations. Find out more about unemployment services here.
Grant Assistance for Individuals and Families
The California Department of Social Services, Disaster Services Branch, may be able to provide disaster assistance through the State Supplemental Grant Program (SSGP) and the Disaster Case Management Program (DCMP). Find out more about these programs here.
California residents may register for individual and household disaster assistance with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
In-Home Supportive Services
Recipients and providers of In-Home Supportive Services with questions regarding services impacted by the wildfires should contact your county IHSS worker. Here is a list of county IHSS offices.
Local Assistance Centers
Local Assistance Centers are open in affected counties to provide a wide variety of services and assistance to individuals and families. You can contact you local county to determine the location and hours of operation.
Locating Residents Evacuated from State Licensed Community Care Facilities
If you are trying to locate someone who has been evacuated from a State licensed community care facility due to the California wildfires the Department has a listing of known evacuations and destinations.
Additional Resources
DMV Assists California Fire Victims
The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is offering limited services to residents affected by the wildfires raging across the state. Fire victims who need to replace lost or damaged DMV-related documents can do so free of charge at assistance centers in the impacted areas. Fire victims also can receive support at local DMV field offices, by calling DMV customer service at 1-800-777-0133 or by visiting www.dmv.ca.gov.
Disaster Distress Helpline
SAMHSA’s Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24/7, 365-day-a-year crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters. Call 1-800-985-5990 or text TalkWithUs to 66746 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
Department of Insurance Information for Recent Wildfire Victims
To assist wildfire victims, the California Department of Insurance developed a guide to expedite the recovery process.
For information regarding fire evacuations and shelter locations visit the Cal Fire current Incidents webpage.