Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by Southern California’s ongoing fires. A week after the Palisades and Eaton fires broke out, many still can’t return to their homes, or are stuck in homes in evacuation zones with no utilities. We spoke to officials to understand your options if you’re stuck in this limbo.

When will I be able to return home?

There’s no timeline yet. You can check the Watch Duty app, the Genasys Protect app or online map for the latest updates on your evacuation zone. These are reliable apps that use official sources, such as CalFire and local emergency department information.

Law enforcement is working with fire officials and other first responders to determine evacuation zones and when to allow people to return.

Why can’t I return to see my home yet?

The scale of the destruction caused by the Eaton and Palisades fires has left a monumental task for fire crews, debris cleanup and utility workers to ensure the areas are safe to return to, according to emergency responders LAist spoke to. Authorities are trying to complete work that usually takes weeks in just days. Even though the flames have died down, there is still a lot that needs to be done before the area is safe.

• Firefighters are checking each property for hot spots to prevent flare-ups in another wind event. 

• Electricity and gas utility workers are inspecting and repairing power lines and pipelines so they can safely restore services. 

• Inspectors and debris removal teams are working to document the level of impact to each property. 

• Water agency officials are assessing water quality in the most impacted areas. 

• Officials are continuing to search for human remains. 

Where can I get help in the meantime?

• L.A. County: Officials are working to put together a webpage with a comprehensive list of temporary housing options and financial support — you can monitor their latest resources for both the Eaton and Palisades fires at recovery.lacounty.gov. 

Note: If you’re staying in a hotel, your homeowners or renters insurance, as well as FEMA, may reimburse you for the costs, so make sure to keep your receipts.

Why can’t I receive food and supplies from friends outside the evacuation zone anymore?

Some residents in the most impacted zones never evacuated their homes, while others were allowed in or found other ways to return in recent days and are now living in areas without water, electricity, or gas.

Many of these folks have been relying on friends, family and Good samaritans passing them needed food and other supplies over the line where officials are blocking roads. But now, according to numerous reports from affected residents, that’s no longer being allowed and many people are wondering why.

Part of the confusion is that late last week officials briefly allowed some residents to return to get essential items from their properties, then leave.

An L.A. County spokesperson told LAist that some people ended up staying in their homes during that phase, and as officials move to the next stage of recovery — basically analyzing the true state of the damage and restoring basic services — officials don’t want to encourage people to be at their properties, which could still have risks such as downed power lines, hot spots and toxic debris that needs to be cleared.

“There’s so many moving variables and that’s why law enforcement is working hand in hand with fire and other officials to dictate when it’s safe to be in those zones,” said Helen Chavez, a spokesperson for L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “So it’s not a good idea to stay in there.”

I left my pets at my house and can’t return home. What do I do?

If you can’t get back to your home in an evacuation zone, there are people to call who can check on or pick up your pets. We’ve put together a guide on that here.

I haven’t been able to see how damaged my home is. How do I start with recovery?

•  Look up if inspectors have assessed your home in the impacted areas via these maps. 

• Gather “as-built plans” and building permit information for your property. These will be important for insurance claims and you can request them from your city or county planning office, and get help with this at local disaster relief centers. 
• Check out our cheat sheet to filing a fire insurance claim.

Once I can go back, what should I do?

• Check these suggestions from our guide on what to do — and not to do — once officials have allowed you to return to your property. 

• Look through these FAQs from L.A. County on how to start requesting needed documents for when it’s time to clean up and rebuild.