The host of emotions following a disaster can leave one feeling overwhelmed and wondering what to do next. Wildfire recovery does not happen overnight. It is a steady process of assessing damage, evaluating new conditions, and deciding on what to do next. The ultimate goals of renewal, rehabilitation, and re-vegetation can be attained, but will take patience and persistence. The journey ahead is not easy, but the information provided here will help you get started. |  |
Take Care of Yourself
Contact your local disaster relief service, such as the Red Cross or the Salvation Army. They will help you find a place to stay, food, medicines, and other important things.
Assess Home Damage
Check with the fire department to make sure your home is safe to enter. Be very careful when you go inside. The fire department will tell you if your utilities (water, electricity, and gas) are safe to use.
Assess Resource Damage
Forests, Livestock, and Vineyards damaged by fire will need restoration. The action or inaction taken in the months following fire can have long lasting impacts on how these natural resources recover.
Secure Finances
Check with an accountant or the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) about special benefits for people recovering from fire loss. If you have insurance, contact your insurance company to learn how to keep your home safe until it is repaired. If you are not insured, try contacting community groups for aid and assistance.
Prepare for the future
Preventing the next fire starts as soon as the current one ends. As you begin to rebuild your home and establish your garden, look for fire-resistant building designs to minimize your risk during the next fire.
What can be learned from the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires?
The Fire Network's Community Resiliency and Built Environment Lead, Yana Valachovic, took two trips to the Eaton and Palisades Fires in the weeks following the fires to look for examples where surviving homes withstood the ferocity of the fire and for signs of defensible space and home hardening in action. She used this data gathered from these trips and other post-fire investigations to help develop critical fire mitigation strategies pertinent throughout California and other wildfire-prone areas in the US. Read about Valachovic's findings here:
Additionally, UCCE Fire Specialist, Dr. Max Moritz’s research around plant flammability and land use is informing policy and planning efforts following the 2025 Los Angeles fire storms. Dr. Moritz was engaged by the Blue Ribbon Commission to develop recommendations to rebuild communities impacted by the 2025 Los Angeles fires. His recommendations can be found in Mullin et al. (2025; https://escholarship.org/uc/item/39z0h8dk).