Here you can get help with recovery from mountain fires

The Mountain Fire has burned 20,630 hectares and destroyed more than 200 homes and other buildings since the blaze in the Somis area, north of Camarillo, on the morning of November 6.

The fire was 82% under control on Thursday afternoon. according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protectionor Cal Fire, and local governments had started drawing up recovery plans. Evacuation orders were still in place for some areas on Thursday.

Information about Ventura County support services is available at venturacountyrecovers.org. The City of Camarillo’s efforts are described at cityofcamarillo.org/mountainfire.

Where to get help with mountain fire recovery

County agencies and nonprofits have rolled out a range of relief programs and guidance in the week since the Mountain Fire began:

• Local Assistance Center: The county, the city of Camarillo and their partners are centralizing recovery services and guidance at the Ventura County Office of Education conference center at 5100 Adolfo Road in Camarillo. The center opens on Thursday and remains open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 7pm. More details are available at venturacountyrecovers.org.

• 211 Ventura County: Call 211 for information and referrals for assistance with shelter, healthcare, food, utilities, mental health, legal, disaster services and transportation. Search for services online 211ventura.org.

• Back home: The province published safety guidelines for those returning to homes in evacuation zones www.venturacountyrecovers.org.

• Emergency loans: Ventura County Credit Union offers emergency loans to both members and non-members affected by natural disasters. Get information by visiting www.vccuonline.netby calling 805-477-4000 during regular hours or by calling the credit union’s 24-hour counter at 805-339-4222.

• Home insurance and recovery assistance: The insurance consumer nonprofit organization United Policyholders will host an online Survivor to Survivor Forum on November 18 at 7 p.m. Register online at uphelp.org.

• Report agricultural damage: The County Agricultural Commissioner collects information on agricultural damage. The province will use the information in the damage report it uses to apply for federal disaster assistance. For more information, visit www.venturacountyrecovers.org.

• Removing debris from wildfires: Cleaning up wildfires can be dangerous because debris left behind by the fire contains hazardous chemicals and materials. Information about debris removal assistance is available in a video and online guide, both accessible at www.venturacountyrecovers.org.

Ways to help

Some nonprofits are collecting donations to support recovery and relief efforts:

• General relief and recovery: The Ventura County Community Foundation administers the Ventura County Wildfire Relief & Recovery Fund. Donate online via vccf.org.

• Help for people without papers: A collection of local groups launched the 805 Undocufund after the 2017 Thomas Fire and restarted it in the aftermath of the Mountain Fire. The money will go to support undocumented and migrant families, including farm workers who may have lost their jobs when smoke from the Mountain Fire blanketed agricultural fields. Donate online via www.805undocufund.org.

If you know of resources or opportunities to help that are not included in this list, please contact Isaiah Murtaugh at [email protected].

Isaiah Murtaugh covers Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Camarillo for the Ventura County Star. Reach him at [email protected] or 805-437-0236 and follow him on Twitter @isaiahmurtaugh.

This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Here you can get help with recovery from mountain fires