What did LA need after the wildfires?

The LA wildfires were devastating for the affected communities. People lost their lives. Homes were destroyed or damaged. Property and possessions were lost. People were displaced. Businesses were affected and closed. Schools were affected and closed. And, as is the case for many disasters, it brought out the very worst and the very best in people. There was looting of damaged homes. There was price gouging in the temporary accommodation market. But communities pulled together to support each other. Various grassroots, local, state, national, and international organisations stepped in to help. All Hands & Hearts was one of very, very many groups of people working to support the people of Altadena, Pasadena and the Pacific Palisades.

So what do the people in these communities need and how can those needs be best served by people and organisations willing to help? I’m no expert, so the following information won’t be complete, but it should give you some ideas of the sort of assistance that can be provided. And, of course, All Hands & Hearts and lots of other groups were involved in quite a bit of this.

• Making properties and structures safe (demolishing where required, felling dead trees, debris removal, constructing temporary fences, etc).
• Soil removal – due to the levels of heavy metal contamination in the soil, the top 6 inches of soil from much of the affected area was removed and disposed of, some of it was technically hazardous waste due to the high levels of lead.
• Smoke remediation – the insides and outsides of buildings had to be cleaned to remove the smoke residue and hazardous material (lead, arsenic, asbestos, etc). The walls, floors, surfaces, furniture (inside and out) needed to be cleaned. Attics and garages had to be cleaned. Furnishings and personal possessions needed to be thrown out or cleaned.
• Legal assistance, information and advice on tenants’ rights, insurance claims, access to services, compensation, etc.
• Distribution of food and non-food items – clothes, toiletries, bedding, furniture, school supplies, etc.
• School support – getting schools reopened or children relocated, school supplies, tuition support to make up for time when children were out of education.
• Grant funding – to support with buying replacement goods, access accommodation, pay for other services, etc.
• Partnerships – connecting different local organisations so they can be more effective in how they work, providing cash directly to local partner organisations to support them, etc.
• Information for organisations – provide information to organisations of affected populations, their needs, the support they have received.
• Employment – many people lost their jobs, especially day labourers.
• Community support and connection – for many people, being heard and knowing they’re not alone is invaluable.

It is manpower, funding, information, advice, comfort, support. And the needs do not go away the minute the last embers are extinguished.