A Disaster Recovery Center has been set-up at the Chico Mall, inside of the former Sears building, 1950 E. 20th St., to help connect Camp Fire survivors with the resources they need to help rebuild their lives.
Inside, survivors can sign-up for FEMA assistance, as well as dozens of other resources to help replace important documents, like birth certificates or property deeds lost in the fire and start talking about how to rebuild your home. There's also a makeshift DMV available, a representative from the Butte County Clerk and Recorders office, crisis counselors and many other agencies anxious to help.
Camp Fire: Faces of the Fire
They recognize that survivors may have lost all of their important documents in this fire, but there is a team of trained personnel on-site help survivors reclaim information. They encourage families to bring any documents they do have with them.
This is important to note, but this is not a shelter location or a drop-off site for donations, it is strictly meant to be a one stop shop for survivors.
Nicole Hauser was one of the first in line two hours before the doors opened. She lost her home in Paradise after having just minutes to evacuate.
“I just need to get all the help that we can get right now, I have some questions that I need answered and I’m hoping that they can help make this long road a little bit easier for me and my family," she said.
This recovery center will stay open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day of the week for the foreseeable future.
Watch Now: Episode 7: "Fighting to Rebuild." Even with insurance, the road to recovery from losing everything to a wildfire can be a long one. Over a year later, residents of the Coffey Park neighborhood in Santa Rosa are still fighting to rebuild their lives.