Operation Hope: Standing with Survivors Financial Disaster Recovery
Operation Hope can assist with FEMA applications and appeals, SBA loan applications and reconsiderations, foreclosure prevention, and more.

• Step 1. Scan the QR code (or click here) or call 888-388-4673 to register with a certified financial disaster specialist.

• Step 2. If possible, gather all important documentation (mortgage, auto loan, medical insurance, etc.).

• Step 3. Schedule a coaching call with your coach for support.

Eaton Fire Collaborative Collaboratory Offers Updated Hours
Mon-Wed: 9am-5pm
Thurs: 9am-7pm
Fri: 9am-1pm
Store by appointment only.
540 W. Woodbury, Altadena
For more information about the Eaton Fire Collaborative, visit https://www.eatonfirecollaborative.org/.

Immigration Resources from National Day Laborer Organizing Network & CHIRLA
Know Your Rights (English)
Conozca Sus Derechos Basicos (Español)
Immigration Assistance Referral Line: 888-624-4752
Legal Assistance: 213-201-3797

Community Forum on SCE Undergrounding
On 10/22 Altagether and ACONA co-hosted a speaker meeting with SCE and Los Angeles County discussing plans to underground power lines in Eaton Fire–affected neighborhoods. It includes an overview of projects in Altadena, the costs involved for residents, and a resident-led Q&A. Watch the recording here.

EFRU Speaker Event Recording: Guidance for Testing & Sampling Homes that Survived the Fire
On 9/24/25 Dr. Whelton of Purdue University and Eric Bollens of Lightbox Learn about new guidance on testing your home for contaminants. This guidance draws on research from the 2023 East Palestine disaster and 2025 LA fires, is informed by hundreds of home testing reports, is accessible to property owners, health officials, and agencies, and is useful for inspectors, testing firms, and insurance providers. See how this guidance can support detecting contamination in your home. View the video recording here. You can review the guidance document titled After the Wildfire: Building and Environmental Testing here.

EFRU Speaker Event Recording: Taking Legal Action Against Your Insurer
On 9/28 EFRU hosted a panel of insurance litigators including Kevin Pollack of Acts Law Firm, James Castle of Castle Legal Group, and Dylan Schaffer of Kerley Schaffer, LLP. Learn about bad faith insurance and what you can do to protect your family and your home if your insurance is rejecting your industrial hygienist report, forcing you to use their remediator or contractor, denying post-remediation testing, or refusing your ALE coverage. View the recording here.

State & FEMA In-Person Support Ending
FEMA and CA Office of Emergency Services will close in-person assistance for Eaton and Palisades survivors on October 17 at 5 pm. Survivors can access OES State services online at https://www.ca.gov/LAfires/ and FEMA assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA Helpline: 800-621-3362 (daily, 4 a.m.–8 p.m.).

Disaster Case Management Program (DCMP)
FEMA-funded support for survivors of the Jan. 2025 Wildfires (DR-4856). Get help with recovery resources and services. Call 833-775-3267 or get more information here.

New EFRU Facebook Page
Check out the new EFRU FB page and follow for updates and announcements throughout the week.

Surviving Structures Facebook Page
A Facebook resource page for residents figuring out how to get back to their intact homes after the Eaton Fire. Learn and share with others recovering contaminated homes that survived the fire. Click here for a direct link to the FB page.

Purdue Pool and Soil Recovery Videos
Access a list of webinars from Purdue that include guidance on pool recovery and soil recovery as well as an overview of household experiences, needs, and perceptions after the fire. Learn about past and upcoming scheduled events on property testing and remediation here.

Learn More About Your Rights From Consumer Watchdog
Watch the recording of EFSN’s recent speaker event: Consumer Watchdog: Inside the Fight for Our Insurance Rights. If insurance is denying you industrial hygienist testing or not providing you ALE, Consumer Watchdog outlines they are not in compliance with CA insurance code. Even CA Fair Plan must cover the costs of industrial hygienist testing and remediation. View the recording here.

New Indoor Pre-Remediation Testing Guidance
Dr. Andrew Whelton of Purdue and Eric Bollens have issued a new indoor testing guidance document created from lessons learned during the East Palestine train derailment and chemical spill/fires in 2023 and the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires titled After the Wildfire: Building Environmental Testing. It explains the basics of environmental contamination sampling and testing for fire-impacted buildings, aiming to make this information accessible to property owners, as well as local and state health officials who often struggle to find clear guidance. The content draws on questions from fire-affected property owners and insights from reviewing hundreds of home environmental testing reports. It is also useful for inspection, testing, and sampling companies, as well as insurance providers. View the guidance on pre-remediation testing here.

Soil Guidance
On Friday, 8/22, the California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) released new soil contamination guidance for communities affected by the Eaton and Palisades Fires. The guidance offers recommendations for reducing exposure, but provides no funding for remediation support. Full details are available here.

Dr. Andrew Whelton of Purdue has flagged serious flaws in the guidance, including a chromium threshold set 50 times higher than DTSC’s own hazardous waste standard and the omission of lithium, despite the many electric cars burned in the fires. His full analysis is outlined in a letter to Governor Newsom, available here.

EFRU is closely following the work of scientists studying soil remediation through bioremediation paired with microbiology, with demonstrated results across multiple sites in the Eaton Fire area. While the State currently promotes soil capping as its lowest-cost option—which only offers temporary protection—bioremediation with microbiology is producing data with contamination mitigation beneath the surface. This approach could offer a more effective long-term solution than capping, while remaining significantly more affordable than excavation. Stay tuned for details.

Eaton Fire Residents May Lose Out with SCE New Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program
On Wed 7/23, the LA Times reported SCE will launch a Wildfire Recovery Compensation Program this fall for Eaton Fire victims, offering faster claims but not admitting liability yet. Critics warn payments may fall short and urge survivors to get legal advice. Many residents and business owners remain unaware of smoke and ash contamination in their standing structures, risking exclusion of testing and remediation costs from their claims. Read the article here.

Submit Questions on the Remediation of your Destroyed Lot or Surviving Home
If you missed the 6/3 Speaker session WUI Recovery Q&A with Environmental Experts, you can still submit your questions to Dr. Andrew Whelton and Eric Bollen by sending them to efru.members@gmail.com. Inquiries will be delivered in a group message and responses will be sent back to submitters.

SGV Habitat for Humanity Offers Remediation & Repairs, Full Home Rebuilds, or ADU Construction on Your Property
SGV Habitat for Humanity is focused on providing long-term solutions for those affected by the Eaton Fire. If you need home remediation & repairs, a complete rebuild of your home, or are interested in learning more about adding an ADU to your property, please complete their Home Damage and Assessment Form at: https://bit.ly/rebuildneeds.
Someone from their team will get back to you with more information and next steps after they receive your completed intake form. If you have questions, please email firerelief@sgvhabitat.org.

GER3 Offers Testing & Remediation for Uninsured/Underinsured Homeowners
Additional funding has been allocated for smoke remediation work, enabling GER3 to complete around ten more full end-to-end projects, some in partnership with SVG Habitat and some independently. Applicants must meet criteria such as low income or have limited insurance. The support includes assessment, pre-testing, remediation, post-testing, and repairs for standing homes affected by smoke damage. Access the application here.

United Policyholder Assistance
Guidance and support from United Policyholders is available 24/7 at www.uphelp.org/2025cawildfires.

If there is a topic you'd like United Policyholders to cover in a future webinar, please email info@uphelp.org.

United Policyholders Survey
United Policyholders is asking wildfire survivors to complete their 6-month insurance and recovery survey. Your feedback helps track recovery challenges, guide future webinars, and strengthen advocacy for insurance reforms. Make your voice heard and help shape resources for your community by filling out the UP Survey at www.uphelp.org/survey.

The State Farm Investigation
Join the EFSN 7000+ signed letter calling for Gov Newsom to step in and address State Farm’s second push for a 30% increase while after 6 months since the Eaton Fire, still having not paid hundreds of Eaton Fire claims, causing policyholders great financial harm: https://www.efsurvivors.net/hold-insurers-accountable-state-farm-lara

Eaton Fire Survivors Network
EFSN is leading the effort to expose the bad faith practices of State Farm in providing for Eaton Fire and Palisades claims. To follow their efforts, sign up for the EFSN newsletter here: efsurvivors.net.

EFSN has a Discord with 2500 fire survivors sharing their experiences and numerous local organizations sharing their information. You can join the Discord by going here: https://discord.com/invite/Y5atRPvc3V

Insurers Hiring Second Opinion Industrial Hygienists
Residents are raising concerns about insurers using firms like Clark Seif Clark (CSC) to dispute previous industrial hygienist (IH) reports. If this applies to you, consider two steps:

• Watch the 5/2/25 EFRU Speaker Event featuring attorney Dylan Schaffer for guidance available at efru.la/speaker-events.

• Submit your contaminant testing reports to Dr. Andrew Whelton of Purdue University, an expert on wildfire-related contamination. He’s conducting a study on contamination testing, including indoor air, surfaces, pool water, drinking water, soil, and can identify inconsistencies between your original and insurer-commissioned reports. Learn more about the study he’s conducting on the practices of contaminant testing and submit your test to WUI fire expert Dr. Whelton by clicking here.

How to Report Your Insurer:
1. CA Dept of Insurance
You can file a complaint with the CA Dept of Insurance by reaching them on their toll‐free Hotline at (800) 927‐4357 or visit them online at www.insurance.ca.gov.

2. Assemblymember Harabedian
Assemblymember Harabedian's office has invited anyone whose insurance provider is denying their request for pre-remediation testing to contact District Director Declan Floyd in Harabedian's office at (626) 351-1917 or email at Declan.Floyd@asm.ca.gov.

3. Consumer Watchdog
If your insurer is not being fair, provide the evidence public advocates need to hold our insurers accountable. File a complaint with the Consumer Watchdog.

4. American Policyholder Association
You can join the American Policyholder Association for no cost and report insurance fraud for the APA to investigate. Join the APA for free and report fraud with the American Policyholder Association.

Media Inquiries
Discover ways you can shine a spotlight on insurance companies acting in bad faith. Your story can help raise public awareness and encourage accountability.

Pepperdine Caruso Law’s Disaster Relief Clinic
Free, pro bono programs to support Los Angeles residents affected by the 2024 and 2025 wildfires. The clinic, staffed by supervising attorneys and law students, assists with FEMA applications and appeals, insurance issues, renters’ concerns, and related non-litigation matters. If a case cannot be handled directly, referrals will be made—with client consent—to pro bono lawyers. Public events and online session recordings are available, and those seeking help can submit a request form to be contacted by the clinic team. For more information, visit the Pepperdine site here.