After

 Returning Home

• Carefully follow instructions from your local Office of Emergency Services (OES) when returning home because many hazards still exist. These additional resources supplement your local resources:

• Safely Returning to Your Home After a Wildfire
• What to do with Food and Medication After a Wildfire
• Evaluating Damage to Your Home After a Wildfire
• How to protect yourself from smoke and ash
• Video of fire survivors experiences returning home

Livestock

• Ranchers have unique needs after fire
  • Caring for livestock with burns and smoke inhalation
  • Disposal of carcasses
  • Promote forage for livestock 

Landscape Triage: Before it Rains

• While many burnt native plants will recover, work is needed before winter storms to prevent further damage:
  
  • Erosion Control
  • Hazard Tree ID and Removal
  • Road Stabilization
  • Flooding and debri flow preparations
  • Rehab for Residential Trees

Moving Towards Recovery

If you or a loved one has been affected by a natural disaster, it's important to know that recovery takes time and can be a complex process. There are no easy fixes and no guarantees. We recommend using the United Policyholders Roadmap to Recovery Guide to help you navigate your insurance claims. 

Financial Help

There are many sources of cost-sharing aid to help you restore your lands although they rarely provide immediate aid. Some programs may allow you to start work before the award is finalized.

USDA Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP)

A cost share program for working landscapes that can address environmental damage, including reforestation, soil erosion control and water quality protection. 

USDA Catastrophic Fire Recovery EQIP Fund Pool

A cost share program for working landscapes that can addresses fire recovery.  

Cal Fire California Forest Improvement Program (CFIP)

A cost share program for forest lands that addess slong-term forest management infrastructure that support society’s values of clean water, wildlife, fiber production and watershed protection (fuel management).

Federal and State tax extensions and relief

There are many resources about tax extension and relief, including timber loss considerations.

Erosion Control Tips:

* Weed-free rice-straw is the most recommended erosion prevention treatment. Find Weed-Free Rice-Straw Near You 

* Be sure to request "Certified Weed-Free" straw to prevent further problems! 

*  Select a size you can drag or transport in your car or truck.

* Work with your neighbors to purchase a large order of rice straw and have the supplier deliver for a small fee. 

These publications from the University of California explore both short-term and long-term recovery of your lands.

Recovering from Wildfire: A Guide for California's Forest Landowners, ANR Publication 8386

Burned Oaks: Which Ones Will Survive, ANR Publication 8445

Rebuilding a Green Landscape After Wildfire: Tips for Landowners

Vegetation Management After Fire: The Use of Natives in Annual Dominated Systems in Central CA