Padilla, Schiff Lead Entire California Delegation in Urging FEMA to Extend LA Fire Victims Assistance Deadline
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.), along with the Chairs of the Republican and Democratic Congressional Delegations — Representatives Ken Calvert (R-Calif.-41) and Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18) — led the entire bipartisan California Congressional delegation in urging the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to extend the application deadline for federal disaster assistance for victims of the Los Angeles fires to May 9, 2025. Currently, the application deadline for most federal disaster assistance programs is March 10, 2025.
“Due to the massive scale of destruction caused by the January wildfires, many victims will not know the total sum of their losses or whether these losses exceed their insurance coverage before the end of the 60-day application period. The widespread damage to infrastructure has made access to many homes in the affected areas difficult or impossible,” wrote the lawmakers. “Additionally, many fire victims have lost computers, cell phones, and other technological devices, limiting their ability to submit applications and to receive messages transmitted by FEMA and other authorities pertaining to relief.”
“We urge you to swiftly extend the application deadlines so that Southern Californians impacted by the fires can evaluate their losses with ample time and apply for relief. Thank you for your attention to this matter and your commitment to delivering relief to those who lost their homes, businesses, and loved ones in this disaster,” continued the lawmakers.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Eaton, Palisades, and Hurst fires destroyed over 11,600 homes, displaced 22,600 households, and took at least 29 lives. These fires devastated homes, schools, businesses, places of worship, and entire neighborhoods. Initial estimates show that the economic losses resulting from these fires could make this one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
Senator Padilla has fought relentlessly to secure and protect Southern Californians’ access to desperately needed disaster relief aid. In the immediate aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, Padilla and Senator Schiff led 47 bipartisan members of the California Congressional delegation in successfully urging President Biden to grant Governor Gavin Newsom’s request for a major disaster declaration to expedite timely relief to Los Angeles County residents impacted by these disasters. Padilla also delivered remarks on the Senate floor urging his Republican colleagues and President Trump to provide essential disaster recovery aid to California without conditioning it on the passage of partisan legislation.
Last month, Padilla introduced bipartisan legislation to create a national Wildfire Intelligence Center to streamline federal response and create a whole-of-government approach to combat wildfires. He also announced a package of three bipartisan bills to bolster fire resilience and proactive mitigation efforts, including the Wildfire Emergency Act, the Fire-Safe Electrical Corridors Act, and the Disaster Mitigation and Tax Parity Act. In January, Padilla introduced another suite of bipartisan bills to strengthen wildfire recovery and resilience, including the Wildland Firefighter Paycheck Protection Act to protect firefighter pay.
Full text of the letter is available here and below:
Dear Acting Administrator Hamilton,
As members of the California delegation, we write to express our appreciation for Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) assistance and support in response to the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles this past January. We also write to respectfully urge FEMA to approve Cal OES’s request to extend the application deadline for Individual Assistance (IA) to May 9, 2025, for victims under the January 8, 2025, California Wildfires and Straight-line Winds Major Disaster Declaration.
As you know, FEMA has the authority to extend these deadlines in extraordinary circumstances, such as this disaster. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the Eaton, Palisades, and Hurst fires destroyed over 11,600 homes, displaced 22,600 households, and took 29 lives. These fires devastated homes, schools, businesses, places of worship, and entire neighborhoods. Initial estimates find that the economic losses resulting from these fires could make this one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
Currently, the application deadline for Individual Assistance through FEMA is March 10, 2025, in line with the standard 60-day application period for most disaster declarations. Due to the massive scale of destruction caused by the January wildfires, many victims will not know the total sum of their losses or whether these losses exceed their insurance coverage before the end of the 60-day application period. The widespread damage to infrastructure has made access to many homes in the affected areas difficult or impossible. Additionally, many fire victims have lost computers, cell phones, and other technological devices, limiting their ability to submit applications and to receive messages transmitted by FEMA and other authorities pertaining to relief. For these reasons, it is imperative that FEMA grant California’s request to extend the IA application deadline to May 9, 2025.
We urge you to swiftly extend the application deadlines so that Southern Californians impacted by the fires can evaluate their losses with ample time and apply for relief. Thank you for your attention to this matter and your commitment to delivering relief to those who lost their homes, businesses, and loved ones in this disaster.
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