(NewsNation) — Victims affected by the deadly Los Angeles County wildfires whose federal disaster relief claim was denied may actually just be missing documentation or information on their claim.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is asking fire victims who filed claims for federal assistance to read a letter detailing their eligibility for federal assistance before becoming discouraged. FEMA officials said repeatedly that a simple fix can be made during the appeal process.

Since the outbreak of the fires last week, many applicants for federal assistance have reported receiving denial letters from FEMA. Although such letters may seem to indicate that a person is ineligible to receive financial help from the federal agency, applicants may still be able to receive relief aid.

FEMA says a common reason why applicants received letters denying their claim or stating that a decision was pending was a lack of information provided by the applicant. Missing information that could result in a denial includes insurance details, an estimate for a contractor’s work, proof of occupancy or a missed appointment with a FEMA inspector.

On Monday, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chairperson Kathryn Barger said FEMA has set up several field offices to work with victims of the deadly fires.

“FEMA relief is essential to getting our impacted residents back on their feet,” she said.

On Tuesday, efforts that began with FEMA officials setting up workstations at local libraries will transition to centralized assistance centers. The centers will be located at Pasadena City College and the UCLA Research Park. Barger said residents will be able to receive in-person support for lodging and essential items and help with other large-scale needs.

More than 26,000 people have registered for assistance under President Joe Biden’s Major Disaster Declaration. Biden has said that the federal government will cover 100% of the costs for the next six months associated with the fires.

Barger said that she has heard from many residents, especially those who are uninsured, who are concerned that they will not receive enough federal assistance to help them with their rebuilding efforts. Barger said in addition to advocating for federal assistance, she will also be pushing for what she called innovative loan and housing solutions that will allow residents to return to their communities.

(KTLA) — More changes have materialized at Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion ride, including a new look and updated storyline for the mansion’s ghostly bride.

Utilizing the latest in projection technology, the bride will now appear to be floating before guests while holding a physical three-pronged candelabra, the Los Angeles Times reported. She will also have a beating red heart, a homage to the attraction’s original bride figure.

Unlike the previous bridal scene, where the former bride Constance Hatchaway was depicted in a wedding dress holding a hatchet, which correlated with her more sinister backstory, the new bride appears to be more grief-stricken and lovesick.

“We thought, what if we change the story back a little bit to the original story that the Imagineers had about a lost bride in the attic mourning the loss of her husbands,” Kim Irvine, the longtime creative director with Imagineering at Disneyland, told the Times. “It was a sad thing. It was a story about lost love.”

This isn’t the first time Disney has changed the fan-favorite bride character. The first iteration of the character had a physical beating heart when the ride opened in 1969.

Disney changed the characters’ depiction again in the 1990s. In 2006, Hatchaway, who is known for killing her husbands, debuted, according to blog websites.

Irvine also shared that the candelabra the bride holds is identical to the one shown in the hall scene earlier in the ride. This change now implies the bride is wandering across the mansion. The same candelabra will also appear in a cemetery scene during the ride’s finale.

Irvine anticipates that some Disney fans, many of whom are superfans of the attraction, won’t like the changes but explains to the publication that the change was necessary.

“The bride that used to be in there was an axe murderer, and in this day and age, we have to be really careful about the sensitivities of people,” Irvine said. “We were celebrating someone chopping off her husband’s head, and it was a weird story. I know the fans — some will like it, and some will say, ‘Oh, you changed something again.’ That’s our job. That’s what we’re here for.”

The changes aren’t complete at the mansion either. During the attraction’s closure, some fans speculated that the hanging corpse in the stretching room would be removed. Irvine noted that such a change is possible.

“We’re still looking at that,” Irvine said. “That one is complicated, structurally … One thing at a time.”

“Foolish mortals” will be able to see the new bride In the ride when it reopens on Jan. 18 after a nearly year-long closure.

Students are rallying together to help a beloved Southern California music teacher after he lost his home to the Eaton Fire.

Jim Foschia, a teacher at Alexander Hamilton High School, recalled the devastation he felt when he learned his Altadena home had burned to the ground.

“I couldn’t keep it together,” Foschia said. “I was on the ground in the fetal position.”

Foschia not only lost his home, but also his collection of treasured instruments including his clarinets, saxophones, a Steinway piano and more.

“It’s a huge loss,” he told KTLA’s Rick Chambers. “The instruments were what centered me, what kept me going.”

Foschia and his wife evacuated their home without much time to prepare, grabbing just a few valuables as the fast-moving fire encroached on their neighborhood. 

Through the chaos, Foschia was able to salvage several beloved instruments.

“I took two clarinets, four ukuleles, a change of underwear and a shirt, the clothes on my back and we got out,” he recalled.

During his 14 years as a music teacher, Foshia taught and counseled hundreds of students, many of whom fondly remember the positive impact he had on their lives.

“He means the world to me and to so many others,” said Izzy Selph, a former student. “He was a teacher and a mentor that was just such a guiding force.”

When they learned he had lost his home to the fire, they rallied together to help Foshia and his wife rebuild their lives.

“When you have a male figure like that in your life, it’s kind of like another dad,” said student Britney Robinson. “You can go and talk to him about anything and there’s no judgment.”

“He always had an open-door policy and you’re able to talk to him and he’ll always understand,” said Chris Hockless, a former student.

Foshia said he’s overwhelmed and touched by the outpouring of support.

“I’ve had so many alumni reach out,” he said tearfully. “It’s life-affirming.”

A GoFundMe page to help Foshia and his wife can be found here.