Fire recovery centers to open Tuesday in West LA, Pasadena

Two Disaster Recovery Centers were scheduled to open Tuesday, providing resources for Los Angeles County residents dealing with the aftermath of the deadly, destructive fires that have been burning since last week.

On the Westside, a center will open at UCLA Research Park, formerly known as the Westside Pavilion in West LA, 10850 W. Pico Blvd. An eastern center will open at the Pasadena City College Community Education Center, 3035 E. Foothill Blvd.

Hours of operation are 1 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, and beginning Wednesday the centers will be open 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Services will be available to people who have lost records such as birth certificates, death certificates, driver licenses and social security cards. Fire victims who have lost homes or businesses may apply for disaster relief loans.

Mental health counseling and other services will also be available.

Representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which had provided assistance at eight LA County libraries. Those efforts will now transfer to the two Disaster Recovery Centers.

“These Resource Centers will bring federal, state, and local officials together under one roof to offer vital services to residents impacted by the wildfires,” according to the county assessor’s office.

By the time all the damage in assessed, the fires are expected to constitute one of the costliest disasters in U.S. history. A preliminary estimate by AccuWeather put the damage and economic losses so far between $135 billion and $150 billion.

Gov. Gavin Newsom told NBC News on Sunday that he believes the fires will be the worst natural disaster in U.S. history “in terms of just the costs associated with it, in terms of the scale and scope.”

More than 38,000 acres have burned as a result of the county’s multiple wildfires filed by intense winds last week.

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