Oak Fire: Assistance center set up at Mariposa County High School
Officials say the goal is to provide a one-stop shop for anybody impacted by the Oak Fire.
MARIPOSA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- For the hundreds of people who were displaced or lost everything in the Oak Fire, help is on the horizon.
A local assistance center has been set up at Mariposa County High School.
Inside, there are about 40 businesses, organizations and local and state agencies with booths providing everything from food and water to shovels and buckets to help sift through the ashes.
The school district has information for parents and is handing out backpacks as kids prepare to go back to school.
The DMV has a booth to help people replace any identification they may have lost in the fire.
The department of insurance is assisting people with living expenses and insurance disputes.
And the county assessor records office is helping residents replace lost or damaged birth, death and marriage certificates.
"This is also the fastest way to get some of these services up and running. You can get things started today so that you don't have to wait a long time to get replacement records or information or services," said Lizz Darcy with the Mariposa County Department of Health.
On Monday, many people took the opportunity to speak with environmental health, and the planning and building departments about cleaning up their properties and beginning the rebuilding process.
Action News spoke to several Mariposa County residents who were grateful to have all of this help in one place.
Officials say the goal is to provide a one-stop shop for anybody impacted by the Oak Fire. It can be traumatic to talk about the experience and loss over and over so this assistance center will help people avoid making dozens of phone calls to get their lives back on track.
In total, over 100 families suffered the loss of a home, but it's estimated that a third of the county's population was evacuated at some point. These resources are for them too.
The local assistance center will be back at Mariposa County High School on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9 am to 7 pm.
