Ventura County Credit Union (VCCU) is offering emergency loans for members and non-members affected by a natural disaster or public emergency.

Call: 805-477-4000 or 800-339-0496 (toll-free)

24hr Telephone Teller: 805-339-4222 or 800-339-0497 (toll-free)

The SBA will be offering individual loan assistance to residents who qualify and incurred damage and loss on their properties as result of the fire.
SBA Disaster Loans Include:

• Business Loans up to $2M for repairs/replacements of real estate, machinery, equipment, inventory, and other assets.
• Economic Injury Loans for small businesses, agricultural cooperatives and nonprofits, regardless of property damage.
• Homeowner Loans up to $500,000 for real estate repairs.
• Personal Property Loans for homeowners and renters may qualify for up to $100,000 to repair/replace personal property, including vehicles.
• Interest Rates as low as 2.563% for homeowners/renters and as low as 4% for businesses.

The deadline to apply for property damage is January 28, 2025. The deadline to apply for economic injury is August 29, 2025. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications promptly.

Additional information on disaster assistance information can be found at sba.gov/disaster. The SBA also hosts a Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

Financial assistance and support is available to farmers, ranchers and landowners who have experienced economic injury due to the recent wildfire. The resources listed below offer various access to resources that can help with the financial burdens exoerienced during the recovery process:

U.S. Department of Agriculture – Farm Service Agency (USDA-FSA)

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers disaster assistance and low-interest loan programs to assist in the recovery efforts following wildfires or other qualifying natural disasters.

Contact: Daisy Banda, Santa Barbara and Ventura County Executive Director

Address: 920 East Stowell Rd, Santa Maria, CA 93454

Phone: (805) 928-9269 ext. 2

Email: daisy.banda@usda.gov

Website: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/disaster-assistance-programs

U.S Department of Agriculture – National Resource Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS)

USDA’s National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) provides technical and financial assistance to farmers, ranchers, and landowners to help them conserve and improve natural resources.

Contact: Brooks Engelhardt, District Conservationist

Address: 3550 Soth Harbor Blvd, Suite 2-202, Oxnard, CA 93035

Phone: (805) 984-2358

Email: brooks.engelhardt@usda.gov

Website: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/california

Ventura County Resource Conservation District (VCRCD)

The VCRCD works to protect and restore natural resources in Ventura County by providing conservation programs, technical assistance, and community education.

Contact: Jamie Whiteford, Executive Director

Address: 3380 Somis Rd, Somis, CA 93066

Phone: (805) 764-5132

Email: Jamie.whiteford@vcrcd.org

Website: https://vcrcd.org/

Free N95 Respirators for Agricultural Companies

Address: 815 East Santa Barbara St, Santa Paula, CA 93060

Hours: M-F 7:30 am to 3:30 pm until supplies are exhausted

Phone: (805) 933-2926

Business Foward is offering tailored assistance to help businesses affected by the Mountain Fire recover and thrive.

For updates on available resources, including grants, low-interest loans, and programs designed to support impacted operations click the link here -->Business Forward

Southern California Edison is here to help their customers impacted by the recent wildfires and other major disasters. Customers are eligible to receive support from SCE in a variety of ways that can help ease their recovery.

If you have been impacted by a recent wildfire or other major disaster and are in need of assistance, please visit sce.com/safety/assistance-center.

For timely and accurate status updates and safety resources, visit sce.com/ assistance-center. Representatives are also available on a dedicated line in SCE’s contact center to help our impacted customers and can be reached by calling 1-800-250-7339 Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

HOW WE CAN HELP:

• Waive deposit requirements for affected small business customers seeking to reestablish service to a new location. SCE does not collect reestablishment deposits from residential customers.
• Discontinue billing for homes that have been destroyed, are deemed uninhabitable or have evacuation periods.
• Offer reasonable payment plans to help ease the financial impacts resulting from the disaster event.
• Suspend disconnection for non-payment.

PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO SCE CUSTOMERS:

California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE)

•This program offers income-eligible customers an approximate 30% discount on their monthly utility costs.

• To learn more about this program you can call SCE directly or you can visit sce.com/CARE.

Medical Baseline

• This program is for customers who are reliant on electrically operated medical equipment. This program provides customers additional electricity per day at a discounted rate, helping to reduce monthly utility costs.

• To learn more about the program and to complete the application visit sce.com/medicalbaseline or call SCE directly.

For emergencies, such as power outages and downed power lines, SCE is available 24-hours a day at 1-800-611-1911. Please remember to never approach a downed power line. Stay away and call 911 immediately.

PDF - Wildfire Disaster Assistance for SCE Customers

PDF - Asistencia para los clientes de SCE que se vieron afectados por incendios forestales

The Ventura County District Attorney’s Office is reminding Ventura County residents to be aware of possible price gouging for essential foods, medicines, household necessities, and housing following the Mountain Fire incident.

On November 7, 2024, Governor Gavin Newsom issued a state of emergency in Ventura County due to the destruction caused by the Mountain Fire. Under Penal Code section 396, during a state of emergency it is illegal for sellers to raise prices more than 10% for items such as fuel, food, and hotel rooms, except under very limited circumstances. There are further protections for residents from eviction or unfair rent increases occurring during a state of emergency. Any violation of Penal Code section 396 is a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a $10,000 fine.

"Exploiting those affected by the devastating Mountain Fire for financial gain is illegal and will not be tolerated," said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. "I encourage anyone who suspects price gouging to report it to our office immediately so we can undertake a review and investigation."

Concerned residents are encouraged to report instances of suspected price gouging to the Ventura County District Attorney’s Office at: DAOpricegouging@ventura.org.

Residents are requested to provide the following information:

1. Business or seller name, address, and phone number
2. Identity of the product or service offered by the seller
3. The cost of the product or service prior to November 7, 2024
4. The cost of the product or service (from the same seller) after November 7, 2024
5. Any other details relating to the alleged price gouging
6. Contact information for the reporting party

Media Release: District Attorney’s Office Issues Warning Against Price Gouging Amid Mountain Fire State Of Emergency