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In the aftermath of the Palisades fire, Theresa, a domestic worker in Los Angeles, is struggling to make ends meet after suddenly losing her job. Although she didn’t live in the fire’s path, she has worked as a house cleaner in the Pacific Palisades for eight years. Theresa, who requested anonymity, is unsure if her employer's home survived, as they haven’t responded to her since the fire started. Now, she awaits payment for her previous work and is struggling to pay bills and support her two children.
The poor air quality is also a concern. Theresa’s nose has been bothering her, and one of her children, who has asthma, requires nightly nebulizer treatments and has even needed emergency room visits.
“I understand the focus is on people’s losses right now, but how are they thinking about workers like me?” she says in Spanish. “How are they thinking about the trauma that workers like me experienced that night when we had to leave the fires and try to get home to our children? How do we make sure something like this doesn't happen again?”
Theresa is receiving guidance from Maegan Ortiz, the executive director of the non-profit Instituto de Educacion Popular del Sur de California (IDEPSCA), who assisted with translation. Theresa is one of many domestic workers needing help after several wildfires burned over 50,000 acres, leaving 28 dead and destroying more than 16,000 structures.
On Jan. 23, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $2.5 billion bipartisan relief package to aid Los Angeles' recovery. However, Ortiz notes that it could take years for individual workers to regain financial stability. After the Woolsey fire in November 2018, it took two years for workers in the area to no longer need additional assistance for basic needs. Ortiz fears the impact this time could be worse due to the scale of the fires.
Theresa has applied for grants from IDEPSCA, an affiliate of the National Domestic Workers Alliance (NDWA). Ai-jen Poo, president of the NDWA, highlights that Los Angeles has a large concentration of domestic workers, many of whom are women and immigrants. Community support is crucial, as domestic labor is often "invisible work" with vulnerable populations.
A UCLA study published on Jan. 15 showed that 85% of household workers in Los Angeles are Latino, and 47% are self-employed, making them ineligible for unemployment benefits or paid leave.
Anna Guerrero, who has worked as a housekeeper in the Palisades for decades, is also struggling. Both of her employers lost their homes, leaving her without work or income. She cares for her elderly mother and her husband, who needs surgery later this year. Her biggest need is to regain a steady income.
Lucia Diaz, CEO of the Mar Vista Family Center in Culver City, understands this predicament well. She used to work as a housecleaner and nanny and now supports domestic workers at the center. Many workers seeking her help are undocumented, adding another layer of complexity, especially with President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
Health concerns for workers near impacted areas are also significant, as wildfire smoke contains pollutants that can cause health problems. Recently, California expanded OSHA protections to include domestic employees working through agencies, but these protections won’t take effect until later in 2025.
Ortiz recalls stories from the Woolsey fire aftermath, including workers being hired to put out fires and employers evacuating but leaving workers behind. With domestic laborers not covered under Cal-OSHA protections, advocating for their health and safety is crucial.
NDWA and IDEPSCA are providing information about toxicity, PPE, temporary shelter, and transportation for evacuees. IDEPSCA’s office has become a distribution center for essentials like masks, water, diapers, and hot meals. NDWA has set up a Domestic Worker Relief Fund for affected workers.
However, many displaced laborers have been difficult to track down. Poo and Ortiz are concerned about undocumented workers who may not be eligible for FEMA assistance and could be taken advantage of.
Despite the challenges, the community response has been heartwarming. Organizations in unaffected areas like Westchester and Culver City have opened food banks and donated to aid impacted workers. Jesus Orozco, a community organizer, worries about a potential drop in support for critical services as many focus on rebuilding.
“We’re all feeling grief,” Orozco says. “No matter what socio-economic background we’re from, we’re all connected here.”
Southern California has been ravaged by intense wildfires spurred on by powerful Santa Ana winds which have forced over 130,000 people to evacuate and many of them have lost their homes. Fortunately, rains have arrived to aid firefighters in the efforts to extinguish the blazes that are still raging.
President Joe Biden signed a Major Disaster Declaration on January 8 making disaster relief available for those who have been affected. Part of that assistance is federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA), which is now available for workers and self-employed people who do not qualify for regular unemployment benefits.
Full-time workers who are deemed to be eligible can receive between $186 and $450 per week, for up to 26 weeks. Part-time workers may also be eligible DUA benefits.
How Californians can apply for Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA)
The fastest way to apply for DUA benefits is to go to the myEDD web portal, the federal benefits are administered through the California Employment Development Department (EDD). On the homepage select UI Online where you can create an account or log into an account that you’ve previously created.
Users have a choice of English, Spanish, Armenian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. Besides the first two, you can find the other languages in the upper bar by clicking on the ‘Language Resources’ tab.
You must first apply for regular Unemployment Insurance but impacted workers eligible for DUA should check the box on the application that asks if their unemployment is a direct result of a recent disaster. EED will determine your eligibility for regular UI benefits or DUA benefits.
While the process is ongoing you may receive a letter informing you that you are not eligible for regular UI as EED works on processing your DUA application.
DUA benefits are available to workers who experienced losses beginning the week of January 12, 2025, and after. If you became unemployed or lost work due to the federal disaster as of January 12 you can request that your claim start on that date, even if you apply later.
Unless the individual has good cause to submit a late application, DUA benefit claims must be filed by March 10, 2025. Benefits will be payable until July 12, 2025, the last payable week of this emergency benefit.
The criteria to claim DUA benefits are as follows:
- Worked, or were a business owner or self-employed, or were scheduled to begin work or self-employment, in the disaster area. This includes and is not limited to, those in agricultural and fishing industries.
- Cannot reach their workplace due to the disaster or can no longer work or perform services because of physical damage or destruction to their place of employment as a direct result of the disaster.
- Cannot perform work or self-employment due to an injury as a direct result of the disaster.
- Became the head of their household due to a death caused by the disaster.
- The work or self-employment they can no longer perform must have been their primary source of income.
You will have to submit all required documentation within 21 days from the day the DUA application is filed. Required documentation includes:
Those who are self-employed can obtain the necessary documentation from banks, government entities, or affidavits from individuals having knowledge of their business.
Governor Gavin Newsom also declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County and issued an executive order waiving the one-week-waiting period for affected workers who qualify for regular unemployment benefits.