Fire Recovery Help for LA Businesses: What's Open in November

Nearly two years after the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires, many Los Angeles County business owners are past the emergency phase and into the slow, paperwork-heavy part of recovery: rebuilding storefronts, renegotiating leases, sorting out insurance and deciding whether to take on new debt. Several of the early relief grants have closed, but a handful of programs are still open, and some in-person help is arriving in the next few weeks.

Here is a practical rundown of what is available to Altadena, Pacific Palisades and other affected business owners heading into November 2026. Program details change often, so confirm eligibility and dates directly with each provider before you apply.

SBA disaster staff in Altadena, Nov. 2 to 6

The U.S. Small Business Administration's Office of Disaster Recovery is holding on-site sessions for Eaton and Palisades fire survivors who already have SBA disaster loans. According to Canyon News, SBA case managers, loan officers and loss verifiers were at The Pali Hub in Pacific Palisades Oct. 26 to 30, and will be at The Collaboratory, 540 W. Woodbury Rd. in Altadena, Nov. 2 to 6, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

These sessions are aimed at existing borrowers, not new applicants. If you have questions about a loan modification, a disbursement, an increase request or how your loan interacts with insurance proceeds, this is a chance to sit down with someone face to face. Bring your loan number, recent insurance correspondence and any rebuild estimates. If you cannot make it, the SBA's support line is (866) SBA-HELP, and the agency also accepts email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

A 3% loan that is still open

Pacific Community Ventures, a nonprofit lender, runs the RESTORE LA Fund, a $3 million fund for LA County small businesses that saw revenue declines from the 2025 wildfires or the civic unrest and curfews of June 2025. The posted terms are unusually friendly for small borrowers:

• Loans from $10,000 to $100,000 at a fixed 3% rate
• No application or closing fees, no collateral requirement and no minimum credit score
• Terms of one to seven years, with a one- or six-month interest-only period and no prepayment penalty
• A personal guarantee from every owner of more than 20%

Eligibility requires a California-registered business with a location in LA County, a revenue history and enough cash flow to make monthly payments. Rideshare and transportation, real estate, cannabis and nonprofit enterprises are excluded, as are businesses reporting net losses. The application asks for business tax returns, a year-to-date profit and loss statement, a debt schedule and recent bank statements. PCV also offers free business advising if you are not sure a loan is the right move right now, which is a fair question to ask before borrowing.

Altadena's commercial concierge and faster permits

LA County's Department of Economic Opportunity runs the Altadena Commercial Concierge Program for businesses, nonprofits and commercial property owners recovering from the Eaton Fire. It has two main pieces:

• Altadena SmallBiz Permit Express, which pairs you with a concierge representative to coordinate with Public Works, Regional Planning, Fire, Public Health and the LA County Rebuild Authority. The county says the program can deliver up to 25% faster turnaround than standard permitting.
• Individualized technical assistance, which includes a business assessment, a written action plan and regular check-ins with a consultant on operations, finances, marketing and hiring.

Both are open to organizations with fewer than 100 employees and $19 million or less in average annual revenue over the prior three tax years. Businesses enrolled in Permit Express are automatically connected to the technical assistance track.

The same county page lists the Shop Local LA County Gift Card, which gives buyers a bonus card worth 50% of their purchase to spend at impacted businesses listed in the county's Recover Local directory. If your business is eligible and not yet listed, it is worth checking.

What has closed

It is just as useful to know what is no longer available, so you do not waste time on applications. The LISC LA and BMO LA Rise & Renew $5,000 micro-grant program closed on Aug. 31, 2026. The county's LA Region Small Business Relief Fund and the Small Business Mobility Fund launch grants are also closed, according to the county's recovery page. LISC says Rise & Renew applicants, including many who were not awarded, may still be invited to free webinars on cash flow, insurance and digital marketing.

A short checklist for the next 30 days

1. If you have an SBA loan, book time at the Altadena session or call the support line about anything unresolved.
2. If you need working capital, compare the RESTORE LA terms with any bank or SBA option, and talk to an adviser before signing.
3. If you are rebuilding in Altadena, apply for Permit Express before you submit plans, not after.
4. If your insurance claim is stuck, the California Department of Insurance accepts formal requests for assistance at 800-927-4357, as noted in the Malibu Chamber's recovery roundup.
5. Prepare for winter rain. Burn-scar areas face mudflow risk, and the same roundup notes that flood insurance policies can take at least 30 days to take effect.

Recovery funding tends to arrive in waves, and the businesses that land it are usually the ones with documents ready. Keeping an up-to-date folder of tax returns, loss photos, insurance letters and rebuild estimates is the single most useful thing you can do while you wait for the next round.