Important tips for wildfire survivors. Long, but useful information.
Please don't start any cleanup process until you go thru the process with FEMA and County. If you start to move big things around they may not assist. First go to your Local Assistance Center(LAC), sign up with ALL resources. It will take a few hours but in the end it will be worth it. If you don't have insurance they will sign you up for FEMA assistance, FEMA trailer, and/or FEMA rental assistance. If you have insurance still sign up for FEMA, this puts you on other resource lists, debris clean up list, etc.
Red Cross will help out once shelters start to close. Red Cross, FEMA or your insurance can help with hotel costs. First priority after a fire is shelter, food and water.
Local places will help first then the other agencies. As for Red Cross, you will need to re-sign up with them after you leave the shelter. They will distribute check/card(s). It may not happen right away, but keep checking back with them. They, like others, may only hand out gift cards at first.
When you go to your property sight only touch bare minimum. WEAR PROTECTIVE GEAR (N95, Goggles, coveralls, shoe covers/boots, gloves) as this type of ash is toxic, or hire a team or use churches that due Ash Outs for free. Think about blue print of house and where it would be most useful to sift i.e. bathroom where jewelry is, bedroom where jar of coins are, etc. There are people that search for cremated ashes you had. Federal can also salvage dollars/coins. Google this service online.
If animals are missing, you can put out dishes of food and water, while checking all in-County and out-of-County animal rescue/shelter locations.
Check all donation centers. At first the volunteers there are overwhelmed too. If it's too much, check back with them later. They often know about the latest grants. At one point they may ask for verification that your property was impacted like FEMA letter, Insurance Claim and Photo ID. But at first, even evacuees can utilize these centers.
Debris clean-up is a LONG PROCESS. It can take months and even a year. They have to go thru each property in stages and only when it is safe and the fire is more controlled. No hot PGE lines, no fallen trees, etc. When you return watch for hot spots, rekindling fires, and smoldering in trees. Watch for fallen trees or lines across roadways and your property. Best thing to do now is secure a place at a hotel, with friends or family, rental, FEMA trailer, etc. If not insured FEMA can help with rental assistance too.
Secure food and start to collect vital documents if lost. LAC can help with this process and sometimes provide it for free. Sometimes DMV waives costs. Replacement of DL, Birth Certificate, title to property or vehicle, copy of insurance, medical insurance cards, credit cards, etc. can be frustrating. Don't give up, you'll eventually need them for other grants.
If you have insurance, there is often an incidental or out-of-home check issued immediately during a disaster between $2k-10k. This will help with hotels, gas, food, etc. Some insurance companies are going to ask you to compile a list of things you lost. This will seem excruciating. If you have email, your cell phone, Facebook or friends/family you sent photos too, start collecting photos of the inside/outside of your home. This will help you compile the list and substantiate your claim. Some local businesses keep internal receipts. You may need those. Check your bank statements for big purchases.
While trying to collect your thoughts, eating out, staying in motels, spending gas to and from new place to burned property, always SAVE EVERY RECEIPT.
Keep a notebook to record all phone calls, staple/tape business cards and receipts, resource lists, etc. It will be overwhelming and hard to remember everything everyone's told you. This notebook or binder will be your go-to.
Likely you will not be able to stay on the property unless you can put a trailer far enough away from burned structure. They need large enough space for equipment and need to make sure its safe enough for people to sleep overnight on property. You will need to sign a right to entry for teams to come clean the property. You will want them to call ahead. Strange vehicles will be in the neighborhood. Some will be legit, i.e. PG&E, fire personnel, County, media, but some will be lookie-loos. If you're on the property at the time the clean-up teams come, you may be able to ask that certain objects stay behind, or cars you can't let go of right now. Other objects or parts of foundation they have to remove for every property and there will be no say. It's about removing contaminated sections. Some people opt to have their insurance do this part or hire a private team.
Anything of value on your property you may want to secure. Sheds left alone on properties, copper, tools are all targets for thieves. I know it's hard to think how can someone take advantage of someone at their lowest, but they do. Don't leave tools on sight for a while. If your able or the County they may place metal fencing around some properties or their pools.
So many steps after debris removal... again it will take some time. Land samples. Cleaning rest of property. Bringing in fill dirt. Requesting funds. Building Foundations and hoping it's not raining. Reminder most funds you apply for will help with rebuilding, not extra stuff like sheds or landscaping - that will come last. Some instant grants will be for critical needs like water/wells and power.
People will try to come up with things trying to be helpful, i.e. "It's just things. At least your alive." or "Aren't you recovered yet." 3 months in. They don't mean harm, they just don't know.
Find people that have gone thru this at local donation centers, town hall meetings, community meetings, resource centers, shelters, and churches. They will be the best resource. Volunteers running it will also be overwhelmed. If things don't make sense at first, come back. Often the people helping at these centers have first-hand knowledge of new resources or grants. The people coming to the center have also gone thru what you are going through and will give you first hand knowledge and tips. Lean on each other.
Grants will have deadlines. Write the deadline down in your notebook/binder.
Eventually, you'll be assigned a disaster case Manager with FEMA, Red Cross, Local Long Term Fire Recovery Committee (Compiled Non-Profits with financial resources to contribute that were donated to them), UMCOR, and/or Catholic Charities. A disaster case manager will help you long term with grants for housing or rebuilding. It will feel awkward at first telling Disaster Case Managers your personal information, while asking for money. Don't let this discourage you. These funds are often donated by the community for you just like the material donations at donation centers. They just need to go through a eligibility process.
There are teams that do help with rebuilding but this can take a year or more and you must meet certain qualifications. There are also housing grants to help with rebuilding or to purchase a manufactured home.
First and foremost...
Be kind to yourself, don't forget self care. Eat, sleep and rest. You have gone through a life-changing event. You have inhaled a lot of wildfire smoke, slept in new places, and have gone through a very stressful time. Hydrate if nothing else. Drink lots of water.
Short Term Recovery after a disaster like a wildfire is 1-3 years; long term is 3-5. For many in the Camp Fire it can be 5-10 years. My point is don't be hard on yourself if 6 months down the road, your still not where you want to be or need to be. What your going through is normal. Your feelings are normal and valid. Many after the 2017 and 2018 fires took 3 years to have their homes rebuilt to where they finally felt settled, even with insurance. Pace yourself.♡
https://www.disasterassistance.gov/.../CaptchaAccept.do...
https://www.disasterassistance.gov/get.../find-assistance
https://www.cdss.ca.gov/disaster-help-center
https://wildfirerecovery.caloes.ca.gov/.../local.../
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A Message from Rouland Insurance
Our friends and neighbors of Greenville, Canyon Dam, Indian Valley, Warner Valley and other parts of the Lake Almanor Basin have suffered devastating losses as their homes and/or communities burned in the Dixie Fire. Our hearts break for the residents of these beautiful areas. 
And "rise to it" we will. We are a strong and determined people, and we will rebuild together. It will take time, patience, moments of hope and moments of hopelessness, but through it all, we will come out of this.