Biden Announces $770 One-Time Aid For Each Los Angeles Wildfire Victims
U.S. President Joe Biden has announced a federal aid package that will provide a $770 one-time payment to each victim of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County, California.
The region has been battling one of the worst wildfire outbreaks in its history, with 29 lives lost and widespread destruction.
Speaking during a White House briefing on Monday, Biden said the payment will provide relief to the incident victims, adding that the government will cover 100% of disaster response costs for the next six months.
Biden said, “We are not waiting until the fires are over to help victims. We are helping them right now.
“People impacted by these fires are going to receive a one-time payment of $770, so they can quickly purchase things like water, baby formula, and prescriptions.
“So far, nearly 6,000 survivors have registered to do just that, and $5.1 million has gone out.
“It’s going to cost tens of billions of dollars to get Los Angeles to what it was. We are going to need Congress to step up with the funding,” Biden stated.
According to the president, Residents affected by the fires can apply for assistance through DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling 1-800-621-3362.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said about 33,000 residents have registered for disaster relief.
AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter noted that this year’s wildfire season is among the most destructive in U.S. history, exceeding the losses from the 2020 wildfire season.
According to AccuWeather, the total estimated damage and economic loss from the wildfires ranges between $250bn and $275bn. This surpasses the damage caused by Hurricane Helene in 2024, estimated at $225bn to $250bn, and the Maui, Hawaii wildfires in 2023, which cost $13bn to $16bn.
Biden Announces $770 One-Time Aid For Each Los Angeles Wildfire Victims is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
