FEMA extends application deadline for California wildfire victims to Feb. 15

Federal officials Thursday said residents in Los Angeles, Ventura and Butte counties who suffered damages from the Woolsey, Hill or Camp wildfires have 15 more days to register for aid.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency extended the Jan. 31 deadline to Feb. 15.

Victims of the Los Angeles County and Ventura County fires, which torched more than 100,000 acres and destroyed thousands of structures, may be eligible for grants, rental assistance or help with home repairs.

Residents can apply to receive FEMA aid online or at Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu and Agoura Hills.

The federal grants do not have to be repaid, and assistance is not taxable and does not affect eligibility for benefits such as Social Security and Medicaid, according to FEMA.

Applicants should be ready to provide their Social Security number, the address of the damaged home, a description of the damage, their bank account and routing numbers, and information about insurance coverage.

The Feb. 15 deadline also applies to applications for low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration. The SBA Disaster Customer Service Center’s toll-free number is (800) 659-2955. Help is also available by sending an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov or by visiting www.sba.gov. Survivors also may apply online.

Those affected by the fires can register with FEMA at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling (800) 621-3362. Multilingual operators are available. The toll-free numbers are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Survivors also can apply for assistance at any Disaster Recovery Center jointly operated by the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and FEMA. The centers are staffed by representatives of FEMA’s Individual Assistance and Mitigation teams, the Small Business Administration and other state and federal agencies, as well as nongovernmental service organizations.

javier.panzar@latimes.com

Twitter: @jpanzar