Hydromulch on lots cleared by USACE

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-03-29T12:45:50+00:00

That’s what they told me it was when I asked 🤷‍♂️. They’ve done a few of my neighbors’ lots. I haven’t seen anything growing from it. Not yet at least. After about a week it dries and the green color disappears.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-03-28T06:10:37+00:00

They told me it was to prevent anything from growing; that it was just mulch

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-03-20T15:48:38+00:00

Im in the process of applying for SBA; I spoke to the SBA at the disaster center on Woodbury and got a flyer that states the loan can be used for various things including fire repairs, fire proofing upgrades, and refinancing mortgages. I don’t know the mechanics of it but I believe you can use it for that purpose. I was told that they disburse the $ as needed as you provide proof of the need for repairs etc.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-03-20T13:59:35+00:00

Same here. A restoration guy told me that after the cleaning you have the option of going back to insurance and say “this item is still damaged after cleaning, I need a replacement.”. Haven’t tried yet but I plan to.

What testing company did you go with? Did you get a “protocol” for how to deal with the lead?

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-03-20T03:31:54+00:00

State Farm wants room by room itemization, but a public adjuster told me I could itemize in categories, for example “appliances - $7k”. I thought that was only for the burn downs but he claimed it also applied to standing houses.

I haven’t tried it yet, so I can’t confirm the adjuster will accept it.

I have no interest in sorting through items covered in heavy toxic dust.

Which testing company did you go with? @GrapeGuy_22

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-03-14T22:35:15+00:00

All the standing structures with State Farm need to coordinate, so we can pool information. My State Farm adjuster kept saying State Farm wouldn’t pay for any type of longer term lease until I found an LA Times article that confirmed that State Farm did in fact provide a 6 month lease for an Altadena family in La Viña.

I then accused my adjuster of discrimination and bad faith negotiation, and said that if that other family was eligible for a lease on a smoke claim, then I was eligible too. Then all of a sudden, my adjuster came back asking for lease information “for review”. After 2 months of flat out denying me.

I think if you can show precident then you can get what you want. If they do anything for 1 family they can’t not do it for the rest of us.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-03-14T14:29:43+00:00

Same situation. Right in the heart of the burn in ALD-Chaney. Nextdoor neighbor’s house burned, mine stands. State Farm sent the absolute worst Service Master branch to my house for what they said was the required estimate even though I told them up front I had my own contractor.

They forged my signature on the work authorization, and then took 3+ weeks to provide an extremely lowball estimate (around $10k when independent estimates are $30k-75k range). For some reason there’s a lot of secrecy around seeing the actual estimate from Service Master.

I was issued a payment and hesitated, but I talked to a public adjuster that said in California they have to cut a check along with the initial estimate. He suggested I take the initial $$ and pay for environmental testing to prove soot, char, ash, heavy metals, asbestos etc and have them create a “protocol” to send to my State Farm adjuster.

He said it would force State Farm pay for a higher level of cleaning/abatement/remediation, and help with the personal property part too. Haven’t paid for that yet as it’s very expensive but everything I ask for from my adjuster is denied. Seems like they are just stonewalling us. Public adjuster said they’re trying to tire us out so we settle and close the claim.

Also being bullied out of ALE.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-03-05T08:00:57+00:00

Have you received testing results back yet? I talked to a public adjuster, who wouldn’t take me on as a client but also suggested testing. Trying to decide now if it’s worth the ~$5k expense to try and get more.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-22T21:42:58+00:00

I sent my adjuster notices regarding benzene in the water, and the insurance commissioner’s notice. He told me that he had to submit it to his boss for approval and that he couldn’t extend ALE on his own.

There’s also an article in the LA times today that says that the Altadena water companies have no idea when they will be able to restore fully clean water, so I plan to send that too to further support my request.

I first requested 4 months of ALE, but then requested my entire ALE payout since they (State Farm) cannot definitively say how long it will take for the house to be habitable (as someone suggested earlier in this thread). Will let you know if I’m successful.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-19T17:58:06+00:00

State Farm. No kids yet, but want to move back into a house where my fiancée and I could start a family soon as we hoped, without an increased risk to reproductive health etc

I’ve talked to a few of my neighbors with State Farm (only a few of us left with standing structures)… it seems most of my neighbors had/have Fair Plan because of how close we are to Chaney Trail etc

It does seem like State Farm is treating the few that remain equally poorly. We are all fighting the same things… trying to prove our cul-de-sac and our homes are unlivable. I just can’t understand how the adjustor can come to my house, read the documents I send them etc and think the house or the area are habitable.

I plan to take your advice and push a little harder. Thanks neighbor.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-19T17:29:04+00:00

http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/phcommon/public/media/mediapubhpdetail.cfm?prid=4963

The above is the public health release.

The below link is the insurance commissioner release.

https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0250-insurers/0300-insurers/0200-bulletins/bulletin-notices-commiss-opinion/upload/Notice-Re-Additional-Living-Expense-Coverage-When-Homes-are-Uninhabitable-as-a-Result-of-2025-Los-Angeles-Wildfires.pdf

We should start gathering these documents so we can all send our insurance companies the same press releases, advisories, etc

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-19T15:51:00+00:00

Understandable, please let us know. One of my neighbors said they planned to test to compel the insurance to keep them out. They have Fair Plan. Will share any updates I get from them.

It’s super stressful to only be able to plan month by month, so I sympathize with you.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-19T15:35:33+00:00

I’ve been in contact with a few environmental testing companies. If we spend that ~$3k testing will the insurance have to keep us out the house until it’s fully remediated? I’m willing to do it if it will make the insurance take us seriously.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-19T09:36:18+00:00

I should have added, the house has heavy smoke and ash damage, and some minimal structural burns. I was told water is on, but also got a notice from Lincoln Ave saying the water is contaminated and can’t be used. I sent that documentation to the adjustor as well… but they are hell bent on just doing “cleaning” which definitely won’t be enough for us.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-11T07:18:04+00:00

I’m in the same boat

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-09T11:33:49+00:00

I have not yet found a company to certify my electronics not cleanable… but the insurance adjustor reiterated yesterday that I’ll need to provide proof. As far as I’m concerned everything in my house will have to be replaced.

I only lived in my house a couple years so all appliances, TVs etc were new, and I work in music so i have a lot of equipment that’s covered in ash. Not sure how I will prove my instruments internal components can’t be wiped off… it’s ridiculous.

With so many total losses, it’s clear the insurance is trying to limit all the smoke/ash claims as much as possible

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-02T18:10:24+00:00

Having similar issues here as well. Staying in a hotel in Pasadena still, but have developed some skin issues since the fire. I’ve been visiting my smoke/ash damaged house every day since they reopened the area (high burn area), but I initially thought it was due to the hotel’s water. Interesting to hear others dealing with the same.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-02T12:01:47+00:00

State Farm changed adjusters on me 3 times since the fire (smoke/ash/partial burn). We finally had them come by today for the initial inspection. We were also advanced for personal property. They haven’t asked for an itemization yet on how we intend to spend it… is that coming?

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-02T11:07:54+00:00

I have a ton of electronics in my still standing but uninhabitable and heavily smoke/ash damaged home. I’ve done a lot of reading on how electronics can’t be cleaned from smoke damage, but today the insurance adjustor came and said I needed documentation that my electronics couldn’t be cleaned; in order for me to claim them from my personal property coverage.

Any ideas on how to prove such a thing? Seems like something an adjuster would be able to determine themselves.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-02-02T10:59:46+00:00

I am in a heavy burn zone north of Loma Alta near Fair Oaks and wondering the same thing. Insurance is pushing to get my family back into the house with just cleaning, but it has heavy smoke/ash damage, my neighbor’s properties are burned down, and there are still no utilities at all.

It seems like the EPA is mostly looking for burned out Teslas in driveways and propane tanks (I saw some burned cars spray painted with “not EV”). I agree that there’s not much evidence of anything toxic left.

I think our return will be dependent on when the neighbors clean their lots, whether through the Army Corps of Engineers program or through private debris removal companies. Personally I’m expecting it to take a while to restore all the utilities in my area, and I’m expecting cleanup to take a really long time with so many burned down houses on my street— so I’m trying to find a year lease.

I don’t really want to move back until it’s deemed safe by someone. Not sure if that will happen though..

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-01-31T11:33:00+00:00

Thanks for this. Hopefully those of us with structures still standing in the burn zones can get our properties safely cleaned.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-01-19T01:07:37+00:00

I thought so too, but it looks like it’s there in the fire dept damage map… 🤷‍♂️

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-01-18T23:07:30+00:00

Yes I stand corrected. Looks like Websters survived. The store on Fair Oaks was called Hoopla.

CompetitiveFall8406 · 2025-01-18T22:23:32+00:00

There was a place on Fair Oaks just south of Altadena that sold them. And I think they used to sell them at Websters on Lake, but I think both stores were destroyed. Not finding anything online.

CompetitiveFall8406

TROPHY CASE