Jared Robbins holds a piece of paper after his Altadena home was destroyed by the Eaton Fire less than a week ago Walking up to a row of FEMA trailers in Pasadena, some of the most pressing questions about his situation were written on them.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency opened two disaster recovery centers on Tuesday to help Robbins and others whose homes were destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires and are seeking help getting their lives back together.
FEMA disaster relief centers — one in Pasadena and another in west Los Angeles — will remain open for the foreseeable future for others seeking assistance.
As the Eaton Fire ripped through parts of Altadena and Pasadena early Wednesday morning, federal agencies rushed to the scene to try to supplement state and local aid to the roughly 20,000 people who had fled their homes. Fires fanned by strong Santa Ana winds destroyed about 5,000 structures and changed the lives of thousands of people.
Wildfire victims seek rescue services Tuesday at the FEMA Disaster Recovery Center at the Pasadena City College Community Education Center.
(Alan J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
It's uncertain how much FEMA might spend on the disaster. President Joe Biden declared the fires a major disaster and pledged full federal support, but President-elect Donald Trump, who will take over next week, has condemned California leaders for their handling of the crisis.
Robbins, a 45-year-old film and television sound engineer, left his home with his wife and two daughters last week when strong winds swept through the area. When he returned a few days later, he found his home gone.
He joins about 33,000 people who have applied for federal aid but whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires.
“We were denied,” Robbins said Tuesday outside the disaster recovery center on Pasadena City College’s Foothills campus.
He plans to ask FEMA representatives to explain what was missing from his original application and help him reapply for reconstruction funds. He also had questions about his mother's health and whether he would qualify for a small business loan.
Robbins and his family rented a home in Altadena for several years before buying a home last year. Now that home is gone.
“The next thing is finding permanent housing and making sure we’re taken care of,” Robbins said of the construction process. "I mean, there's an overwhelming feeling that we want to rebuild."
He waited in line with others wondering what federal aid was available.
FEMA spokesperson Nicole Wilson said the rejection is not the end of the process for fire victims seeking federal aid. Sometimes apps are missing some basic information. FEMA cannot duplicate benefits, which sometimes means the federal agency requires a determination letter from the insurance company.
“We need to know what your insurance will do because what they don’t cover we’ll try to fill in,” Wilson said.
Wildfire victims seek disaster relief services at the FEMA site at the Pasadena City College Community Education Center.
(Alan J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
FEMA officials will also provide step-by-step help for people to apply for assistance or upload documents. Wilson said the disaster center will also provide food, clothing, infant formula, diapers and breastfeeding equipment, as well as assist in retrieving important documents destroyed in the fire, such as driver's licenses.
Still, FEMA's arrival did not eliminate uncertainty about the future for most fire victims.
Sonja Jackson waited outside a disaster recovery center with her 3-year-old granddaughter Amirah and 9-year-old son Aaden, seeking any kind of help after their initial request for assistance was denied. help.
The Eaton Fire destroyed Jackson's home, her mother's home and her daughter's home in just a few hours. The family cat Marshmallow is also missing.
“We all left with our clothes on,” Jackson, 45, said. "We thought we'd be back in the morning. We didn't think the fires would have the consequences they did."
Jackson, a nurse, now found herself crammed into her aunt's home in Pasadena with eight or nine family members.
She is looking for temporary housing until she and her family get back on their feet. Jackson said her insurance company, Allstate, only covered the cost of a two-night stay at the hotel. Her insurance plan also only covered $20,000 of her personal belongings lost in the fire.
FEMA Disaster Recovery Center located at Pasadena City College Community Education Center.
(Alan J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
"It doesn't do anything," Jackson said of the insurance payout. "I lost appliances, clothes - mine, my granddaughter's. So, what do you do with the money? It will get us an inch forward, but what happens after that inch?"
She wondered if she should have paid more attention to her insurance policy, but said she realized no one could have seen this coming.
"These are not the easiest times, but we are doing the best we can and we are trying to stay vigilant," she said.
FEMA offices are located at UCLA Research Park West (10850 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles) and the Pasadena City College Community Education Center (3035 East Foothill Blvd., Pasadena). Both offices are open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.