The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency for California on Friday to address the health impacts of the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles County.

The declaration provides greater flexibility for Medicare and Medicaid providers and suppliers, enabling them to address emergency health needs, officials said.

HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra made the announcement, following President Biden’s major disaster declaration.

“We will do all we can to assist California officials with responding to the health impacts of the devastating wildfires going on in Los Angeles County,” Becerra said in a statement. “We are working closely with state and local health authorities, as well as our partners across the federal government, and stand ready to provide public health and medical support.”

The Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, an agency under the HHS umbrella, is on standby to deploy medical equipment, supplies and responders as requested, officials said.

ASPR has shared technical resources on wildfire response and mobilized volunteers from the Long Beach Medical Reserve Corps to assist local officials.

“ASPR is carefully monitoring hospitals and shelters in Los Angeles County devastated by the wildfires, and we are prepared to meet health care needs as part of the combined federal, state and local response,” said ASPR Assistant Secretary Dawn O’Connell.

HHS has activated its 24/7 Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990, providing multilingual crisis counseling for wildfire-related emotional distress. The agency also deployed resources from the HHS emPOWER program to assist at-risk individuals and issued temporary HIPAA waivers to support hospitals.

The public health emergency was put in place retroactive to Tuesday, enabling these measures under federal law.

The multiple wildfires raging in Los Angeles County have torched over 35,000 acres, destroyed hundreds of homes and businesses, and resulted in at least ten deaths.

On Thursday night, California Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara issued a mandatory one-year moratorium, protecting homeowners’ insurance coverage in areas affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires.

The moratorium will prohibit insurance companies from enacting non-renewals and cancellations until Jan. 7, 2026.

In a statement, Lara said this rule applies to all homeowners within the perimeters or adjoining ZIP codes of the two fires in Los Angeles County, regardless of whether they suffered a loss.

“Losing your insurance should be the last thing on someone’s mind after surviving a devastating fire,” said Lara. “This law gives millions of Californians breathing room and hits the pause button on insurance non-renewals while people recover.”

Officials said residents can go to the Department of Insurance website to see if their ZIP code is included in the moratorium.

In addition, if homeowners believe their insurance company is in violation of this law, they are encouraged to contact the department at 800-927-4357 or via chat or email at insurance.ca.gov.

“As firefighters continue to battle wildfires across the region,” the statement noted, “the department may issue a supplemental bulletin if additional ZIP Codes are determined to be within or adjacent to a fire perimeter subject to this declared state of emergency for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.”

The department also provided the following list of tips for consumers during this time:

• Keep all receipts during your evacuation. 
• Policy provisions, including deductibles, vary by company, and residents should check with their insurance company or agent as soon as possible to confirm coverage, limits, and any other limitations and documentation requirements. Most renter’s policies also typically include ALE coverage. 
• Document the date, time, and names of any insurance company employees you speak to regarding your coverage. 
• Consumers should make sure any insurance agent or public adjuster offering their services has a valid license by checking online with the Department of Insurance. 
• Download the Department’s Top 10 Tips for Wildfire Claimants (also available in Spanish, Mandarin, and Vietnamese), which includes information about claiming ALE benefits. 
• Under existing law, public adjusters cannot solicit business for seven calendar days after a disaster. 
• Don’t forget copies of insurance policies, important papers, and a photo or video inventory of your possessions. An inventory can be completed quickly and easily on your smart phone and safely stored in the Cloud.

A 40-year-old Los Angeles millionaire, well known for his success in real estate, has deleted his X account, after facing intense criticism for pleading on the social media platform for private firefighters to save his Pacific Palisades home on Tuesday.  

Keith Wasserman, whose X bio used to read “entrepreneur, investor, contrarian, compounding,” is a partner and co-founder at Gelt Venture Partners, described on his Linkedin page as “Multifamily Real Estate Investments with High Net Worth Individuals and Families.”  

“Does anyone have access to private firefighters to protect our home in Pacific Palisades?” the 40-year-old posted on X Jan. 7 as the fire raged. “Need to act fast here. All neighbors houses burning. Will pay any amount. Thank you.”  

The Palisades Fire, which was first reported at around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, quickly spread through residential and commercial districts, prompting immediate evacuations for tens of thousands of people and has since destroyed thousands of structures across more than 19,000 acres.  

The wildfire is believed to be the most destructive natural disaster in L.A. history, with the damage estimated to be somewhere in the $50 billion range.  

Wasserman, who, according to the Daily Beast, had previously posted about his disdain for paying property taxes, writing “real estate ballers don’t pay any,“ was immediately “dragged” by other X users.  

“Congratulations on no longer having to pay property taxes,” one user wrote, tagging Wasserman whose home reportedly burned down in the fire.  

“You really can’t make this stuff up,” another X user said. “The rich guy Keith Wasserman bragged about not paying taxes & now wants private firefighters to protect his home while neighbors’ home burn.”  

Not all the comments were entirely negative, however. Some users came to the real-estate investor’s defense.  

“It’s deeply disheartening to witness the backlash against Keith Wasserman,” a user from San Diego wrote. “Keith was fighting to save his home and the cherished memories of his family. Almost anyone in his position, faced with flames at their doorstep, would have acted similarly.”  

“If you’re sitting in the comfort of your home judging Keith Wasserman for trying to save his home – maybe realize that you are lucky and be thankful. We all need to be more gentle,” yet another X user posted.  

It’s not entirely uncommon for those with the financials means, like Kim Kardashian and Kanye West in 2018, to get for-hire firefighters, though they were also heavily criticized at the time as well.  

It’s unclear if Wasserman has any intentions of returning to X, but his account no longer existed by Jan. 9.