The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) has announced expanded support for residents affected by the recent wildfires in Southern California. The department’s efforts follow Governor Gavin Newsom’s State of Emergency and Executive Order, aiming to ease recovery across the region.
“Across our entire department, our teams are working toward the shared goal of supporting Californians impacted by these wildfires and easing their pain in whatever ways possible,” said CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer, Dr. Tomás Aragón. “Public health isn’t just about supporting physical health, but also mental health, document recovery, food supply, logistics, recovery safety, and other essential needs.”
To streamline access to information and resources related to wildfire response, CDPH has created a dedicated online portal at go.cdph.ca.gov/wildfires.
CDPH has coordinated with local public health and emergency response teams to ensure safe transfers of individuals from healthcare facilities in affected areas. Over 130 long-term care residents have been relocated to safer locations. The department continues to work with 120 facilities throughout the region to assess additional capacity needs.
Facilities in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties have received blanket approval from CDPH to quickly expand bed capacity and services. This includes setting up beds in non-traditional areas within facilities. These measures aim to increase the ability of healthcare providers to serve evacuated residents more rapidly.
Guidance on submitting waiver requests for further flexibility is being provided through All Facilities Letters. These waivers are intended for facilities experiencing surges due to fire or windstorm impacts as well as staffing shortages.
For those who lost vital records such as birth, death, marriage, or dissolution certificates due to the fires, CDPH is waiving all replacement fees. Requests can be processed within two to three days with expanded on-site services available at Disaster Recovery Centers and Local Assistance Centers throughout Southern California.
The California Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program remains committed to providing eligible families with healthy food and resources during this period. WIC participants who have lost their cards or benefits are encouraged to contact their local office or use MyFamily.WIC.ca.gov for assistance or location finding if displaced by the fires.
CDPH staff are present in affected communities working alongside local, state, and federal partners on issues such as soil safety, air quality monitoring, water safety, debris handling guidance and other post-fire risks.
The Emergency Prescription Assistance Program has been activated so that people needing help filling prescriptions or obtaining medical equipment can find participating pharmacies online. Resource requests for personal protective equipment like N95 respirators as well as medical staffing support have also been made by CDPH.
Mental health resources are being shared through CalHOPE Emotional Support Services for both adults and youth affected by wildfires.
Additional information is available via several official sources:
– Live updates on evacuation orders: Los Angeles County Wildfires Resources Page
– Statewide disaster news: California Office of Emergency Services
– Wildfire information: California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (CalFire)
– Air quality updates: California Air Resources Board
– Local air condition maps: AirNow.gov
– Smoke and ash safety guidance
A centralized hub for state-wide resources can be found at CA.gov/LAfires.
Covered California has introduced a special enrollment period for Los Angeles and Ventura county residents until March 8, 2025. Of the estimated 1.3 million uninsured Californians eligible for subsidies or Medi-Cal coverage through Covered California programs, approximately 356,000 live in Southern California (https://www.coveredca.com/newsroom/news-releases/2024/02/07/special-enrollment-period-opens-for-residents-of-los-angeles-and-ventura-counties-due-to-winter-storms/).
Resource guides have been developed by various state agencies offering disaster assistance information tailored for immigrants (https://www.cdss.ca.gov/inforesources/immigration/covid19-guide), individuals with disabilities (https://scdd.ca.gov/emergencypreparedness), older adults (https://aging.ca.gov/download.ashx?lE0rcNUVZ2Y9t0aKnC7c5Q==), managed healthcare plans (https://www.dmhc.ca.gov/Portals/0/Docs/DO/dmchealthplandisasterresourceguide.pdf), child care locators (https://mychildcareplan.org), benefit management portals like BenefitsCal (https://benefitscal.com), disaster Q&A from the Department of Health Care Services (https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/disaster/Documents/DHCS-Disaster-Assistance-QA.pdf), among others.
Individuals or business owners who suffered losses from wildfires in Los Angeles County may apply for disaster assistance online at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling FEMA at 800-621-3362; help is available in over 40 languages.
