What you need to know: Thousands of Californians have had their lives turned upside down by the Los Angeles firestorm. Governor Newsom continues to meet with those impacted to hear their stories and discuss efforts to rebuild.
January 22, 2025 - LOS ANGELES – Continuing to have an eye toward recovery and rebuilding, Governor Gavin Newsom on Tueaday met with workers and small business owners impacted by the devastating Los Angeles firestorm to hear their stories and highlight the state’s work to help communities rebuild.
The Governor visited NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in La Cañada Flintridge for a conversation with employees impacted by the Eaton Fire. Hundreds of JPL employees lost their homes, with over 100 more likely to be displaced due to damage to their homes. Joined by Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger, Governor Newsom talked with the employees about rebuilding efforts, as well as concerns about home insurance.
As the largest employer of those impacted by the Eaton Fire, JPL started a disaster relief fund to help employees, which has already raised over $2 million. JPL manages the Deep Space Network, a global web of antennas that communicate with spacecraft. The NASA facility has partnered with CAL FIRE to use soil moisture sensors to support the state’s fire management and prevention efforts. JPL also helped California launch pollution-tracking satellites last year and partners with the state on drought monitoring.
Governor Newsom also visited with small business owners Kevin Hockin and Rosanna Kvernmo. They started Side Pie as a pizza pop-up during the middle of the pandemic. After it went viral, they expanded into a brick-and-mortar shop in Altadena in 2021. They received news while at Disneyland with their daughter that they had lost their restaurant and that their home suffered extensive smoke damage. Kevin and Rosanna plan on rebuilding when safe to do so.
Thousands of hard-working Californians lost their homes, their businesses and their livelihoods to this firestorm. From the hundreds of workers at NASA’s iconic Jet Propulsion Laboratory who lost their homes to folks like Kevin and Rosanna who lost their Altadena pizza shop – the numbers will never capture just how life-changing these fires were for Californians. It will take years to rebuild and fully recover but California will be there every step of the way.
Governor Gavin Newsom
Also today, Governor Newsom stopped by CAL FIRE and CDCR conservation camp crews filling sandbags that will be placed in firestorm-affected areas to help protect against potential flooding and mudslides. Yesterday, the Governor issued an executive order to help mitigate this risk and protect communities by hastening efforts to remove debris, bolster flood defenses, and stabilize hillsides in affected areas.
Helping small businesses recover
Since the firestorm, California has worked with federal and local providers to help businesses with the resources and support they need to recover and rebuild.
- 200+ business advisors from Small Business Support Centers funded through the California Office of the Small Business Advocate’s (CalOSBA) Technical Assistance Program are staffed across the region.
- This includes business advisors from the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and Women’s Business Center (WBC) who can answer loan application, insurance, employee support and business recovery questions. They are co-located at the Disaster Recovery Center at Pasadena City College and the Disaster Loan Outreach Center in Camarillo (Ventura County).
- SBDC and WBC advisors are also present at the various Business Recovery Centers organized by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
- CalOSBA has launched a Resource Guide for small businesses impacted by the wildfires through its Outsmart Disaster website, and is conducting a series of online trainings in both English and Spanish.
- The California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (IBank) is offering loan programs for businesses from one to 750 employees affected by the LA wildfires.
- Disaster Relief Loan Guarantee Program (DRLGP) issues loan guarantees up to 95% of the loan through IBank’s partner Financial Development Corporations to help small business borrowers impacted by disaster who need term loans or lines of credit for working capital.
Additionally, Governor Newsom has issued a number of executive orders in response to the Los Angeles fire storms to help aid in rebuilding and recovery, create more temporary housing, and protect survivors from exploitation and price gouging.
Get help today
Californians can go to CA.gov/LAfires – a hub for information and resources from state, local and federal government.
Individuals and business owners who sustained losses from wildfires in Los Angeles County can apply for disaster assistance:
- Online at DisasterAssistance.gov
- By calling 800-621-3362
- By using the FEMA smart phone application
- Assistance is available in over 40 languages
- If you use a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, give FEMA the number for that service.
Source: Office of the Governor
