As firefighting crews continue to make great progress to contain the Bridge and Line fires, which have burned a combined 94,110 acres, San Bernardino County in partnership with Los Angeles County established Local Assistance Centers (LACs), a “one-stop-shop” for impacted residents at the Fairplex in Pomona on Sept. 20 and The Way World Outreach in San Bernardino on Sept. 21 and 23.
“Our county has worked as a united front with Los Angeles County to streamline access to vital recovery resources,” said San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman and Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe. “By bringing these government agencies and other organizations under one roof, we can help residents find the support they need without having them navigate multiple systems.”
Over 100,000 San Bernardino County residents were under evacuation orders during the wildfires, and the LACs assisted individuals, families and business owners as they took their first steps towards recovery.
Over 1,200 residents attended the LACs and met one-on-one with several San Bernardino County departments, state agencies, nonprofits and other organizations.
One evacuated resident, John O’Brien, shared, “My house was so close to the fire. I was evacuated and couldn’t work for eight days, and I had to pay for a place to stay and [for] food.”
Resident Tarilynn Perry and her family were also evacuated and said, “I’m [at the Local Assistance Center] for financial assistance since I was at a hotel for almost a week. A neighbor told me about these [resources].”
The LACs featured support from a range of San Bernardino County departments, which provided critical services:
- Aging and Adult Services offered adults aged 60+ counseling and other resources to meet basic needs.
- Animal Care assisted displaced residents by housing and reuniting them with their pets and livestock.
- Assessor-Recorder-Clerk assisted residents in replacing lost vital documents such as a marriage licenses and birth certificate and provided property tax reassessments for damaged homes.
- Auditor-Controller/Treasurer/Tax Collector notified residents of potential tax relief and offered assistance with processing, including information on how their annual bill may be adjusted if the Assessor’s Office reassesses their property due to sustained damage.
- Behavioral Health offered crisis counseling and emotional support for fire survivors.
- Child Support Services assisted residents with child support cases.
- Land Use Services guided residents on building permit requirements and land use regulations to expedite recovery.
- Preschool Services provided childcare to attendees who visited the LAC.
- Office of Homeless Services offered residents experiencing homelessness with housing and support services.
- Public Health provided attendees with several resource guides on how to prepare for emergencies.
- Public Works informed the public on how to cope with debris flows and protect their property against storms.
- Public Works – Special Districts – Water and Sanitation answered questions regarding sewer billing and sewer spills.
- Transitional Assistance Department offered eligible attendees assistance with applications for public assistance benefits, including CalFresh and Medi-Cal.
For more information and for additional recovery resources, San Bernardino County residents may visit Prepare.SBCounty.gov. and Los Angeles County residents may visit Recovery.LACounty.gov/BridgeFire. Residents may also call 2-1-1 for information and other referral services. The toll-free 2-1-1 number is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week.