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Valley Fire Updates

September 14, 2015
Newsletters

Please stay up-to-date on developments with the Valley Fire. You can find updates on the fire, including road closures, evacuations and evacuation centers here.

Valley Fire Recovery Guide

  • Federal dollars have been approved to help victims of the Valley Fire rebuild, repair and replace homes and other personal property not covered by insurance. So many people lost so much that can never be replaced but this assistance will go a long way towards helping folks return their lives to normal. Individuals can register with FEMA the following ways:

    • 1) Apply online at www.DisasterAssistance.gov.
    • 2) Apply via smartphone at m.fema.gov.
    • 3) Constituents may call the registration phone number at 1-800-621-3362; those who have a speech disability or hearing loss and use TTY, should call 1-800-462-7585 directly; for those who use 711 or Video Relay Service (VRS), call 1-800-621-3362.
  • Federal funds from FEMA have been announced to help combat Valley Fire.

  • Even if you have insurance, register with FEMA.

    • By law, FEMA cannot duplicate insurance or other benefits. However, FEMA may be able to help you with uninsured or underinsured losses or if your insurance settlement is delayed. Applicants should notify FEMA of their situation and provide insurance company documentation.
    • If you received a settlement from your insurance company and still have unmet disaster-related needs, you may be eligible for a grant.
    • If an insurance settlement is insufficient to cover disaster-related needs, you may be eligible for grants to cover emergency home repairs, disaster-related medical, dental and funeral costs and other disaster-related expenses.
    • If a your insurance settlement has been delayed longer than 30 days from the time they filed the claim, you should contact FEMA. After providing the necessary documentation – the claim number, date applied, and an estimate of how long it will take to receive a settlement – you may qualify for an advance that would have to be repaid to FEMA once the insurance settlement is received.
  • Federal food assistance will be available to Valley Fire survivors. The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has approved a Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP) for survivors of the Valley Fire in Lake County. D-SNAP provides temporary food assistance for households affected by a natural disaster. Households who resided or worked in Lake County on September 12, 2015, and suffered disaster related damage or disaster losses from the Valley Fires may be eligible for the D-SNAP. The California Department of Social Services' (CDSS) will accept D-SNAP applications from September 29, 2015 through October 5, 2015. Application sites will be located at the Lake County DSS office (15975 Anderson Ranch Parkway Lower Lake, CA 95457) and Middletown Senior Center (21256 Washington Street Middletown, CA 95461) between the hours of: Monday – Friday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.; Saturday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sunday: Noon – 4 p.m.

  • Please visit www.lakecountylac.com for information on the help available to Valley Fire victims.

  • Lake County and CAL OES have opened a Local Assistance Center at the Middletown Senior Center, 21256 Washington Street, in Middletown. It will be open 7am to 7pm daily for residents impacted by the Valley Fire.

  • The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced that disaster assistance grants do not count as income. Survivors who receive federal disaster assistance as a result of the wildfires will not pay additional income taxes or see any reduction in their Social Security checks or any other federal benefits. Additionally, grants for temporary housing, essential home repairs, replacement of personal property or other disaster-related needs do not count as income. Donations from charitable organizations will not affect Social Security payments or Medicare benefits.

  • The Lake County sheriff's office is continuing the process of following up on several missing persons' reports. If you believe someone is missing to call the sheriff's office at 707-263-2690.

  • Napa County OES has lifted the mandatory evacuation for Berryessa Estates. However, There will be no access north of Snell Valley Road (entrance to Berryessa Estates) to Lake County.

  • People who are out of work due to the Valley Fire may be eligible for unemployment benefits. The California Employment Development Department (EDD) has a table and representative at the Calistoga shelter inside the Tubbs Building. You can can file for unemployment benefits online at https://eapply4ui.edd.ca.gov/. You can also file by phone, Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 12:00 pm by calling:

    • English: 1-800-300-5616
    • Spanish: 1-800-326-8937
    • Chinese (Cantonese): 1-800-547-3506
    • Chinese (Mandarin): 1-866-303-0706
    • Vietnamese: 1-800-547-2058
  • Alternative Roofing Solutions in Santa Rosa is collecting items to help families in Lake County impacted by the Valley Fire. They are collecting items until Wednesday. Many thanks to Alternative Roofing Solutions for their generosity and to our entire community for your support. Find out more details on how you can help here.
  • Per Napa County Sheriff Robertson: Please refrain from bringing all Valley Fire donations except tents to the Calistoga emergency shelter at this time. They are in need of tents. However, they do not need any further donations at this moment.

  • Be aware of reported Valley Fire scams and do not give your address to people you don't know: https://kron4.com/2015/09/13/burglars-scamming-napa-evacuees-for-their-addresses/

  • For those displaced by the Valley Fire, you can register online with the Red Cross or call 1-800-RED-CROSS to update family on your well-being. Families can also search for names https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php

  • The Calistoga fairgrounds have been overwhelmed with donations, but there are still many ways to help Valley Fire victims: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Donations-for-Valley-Fire-victims-being-accepted-6503528.php

  • Here are some tips from FEMA Region IX on how to stay safe before, during and after a wildfire: https://www.ready.gov/wildfires

  • If you are a veteran who has been impacted by the Valley Fire and need food, clothing, shelter or medical care please call 1-877-4AID VET (877-424-3838). You will be connected to a VA social worker at the nearest VA Facility. Additionally, the Clearlake VA Clinic will be open for all appointments on Wednesday, September 16th. However, there will be limited lab service. There will be no lab draws after 12:30 p.m.

  • The Napa Valley Community Foundation has created a list on its website of groups accepting donations for victims of the Valley Fire. Visit napavalleycf.org, or call 707-254-9565. For a list of other local efforts to help fire victims click here: https://napavalleyregister.com/news/local/napans-businesses-assist-fire-victims/article_27d9facb-0459-53c6-8e7d-c0ab5248e76f.html

  • USPS mail update: Door delivery will continue on streets that are safely accessible. Even if one house is destroyed on a street, service will continue at those residences that remain standing. For those residences that are inaccessible or that have been destroyed, all mail will be held at the closest operating post office and will be available for pick up. Mail will be held for at least 21 days. For all those who will be displaced from their homes, the USPS encourages constituents to set up a temporary change of address form at https://usps.com. If you have questions you can call (916) 373-8630. Please note that 10 USPS post offices have been evacuated, and all services normally rendered at those locations have been staged at alternate locations.

    • Both Middletown and Cobb Post Offices are currently closed; however, Middletown Post Office mail can be picked up at Clearlake Post Office (14500 Olympic Dr, Clearlake CA 95422-9998) and Cobb Post Office mail can be picked up at Kelseyville Post Office (5500 Gaddy Ln, Kelseyville CA 95451-9998).
    • WestPoint and Wilseyville are now evacuated and all mail will be staged at Valley Springs.
    • Arnold, Hathaway Pines, Avery, and Vallecito were just evacuated and their mail will be staged in Murphys.
    • Mokelumne Hill, Glencoe, and Railroad Flat are all evacuated and mail is being staged at Valley Springs.
    • Mountain Ranch is evacuated and mail is being staged at San Andreas.
    • Pine Grove is open with no power but most of 2 routes will not be delivered due to road closures. The third route can be delivered.