While Los Angeles County officials started preparations Monday for the Sand Fire assistance center they’re going to set up at Hart Park, four U.S. Forest Service employees are “starting over” because their homes were burned down in the 41,000-acre fire.

The Sand Fire is still technically active, according to the U.S. Forest Service website, which at last count had the fire at 41,432 acres burned and 98 percent containment, since it first broke out Friday, July 22, near Highway 14, just northeast of Sand Canyon Road.

And as of Tuesday, Aug. 2, the four firefighters who have lost their home are using the last of their 10 days’ worth of assistance from the federal government.  

Angeles National Forest employees Ramon Chavez, James Robledo, Angela Shock and Sergio Toscano are all at the 10-day limit per federal government policy, in which the U.S.F.S. will pay for the hotels, according to Linda Steinberg, president of the Los Angeles River Ranger District Employee Association.

“We’re here to help employees any way we can, in situations like this,” Steinberg said. “We’re extremely grateful to the local communities who support our Forest Service families.”

The Los Angeles River Ranger District Employee Association, or LARDD, a group of employees who pay into a fund that supports them in times of crisis, will help pick up the slack, according to Linda Stein, president of the LARRD, now that the federal policy paying for their temporary rooms has expired.

The L.A. River Ranger District is not a union, but more of an optional group the USFS employees can pay into, Steinberg said.

Two of the firefighters who have lost their home are working with the agency and LARDD to be placed on another government-owned property similar to the home they recently lost, Steinberg said. A third property is being prepared for another of the families, and the fourth firefighter is staying with a family member.

However, all of them are “starting over,” Steinberg said, noting that the four of them lost essentially everything while the fire was being fought.

There’s currently a YouCaring.com website set up to help support the Forest Service officials, she said, and encouraged anyone who wanted to support the firefighters to give there.

If anyone wanted to give donations, all four U.S. Forest Service employees could gift cards and cash donations to assist in the recovery, as housing needs are being addressed, but that’s only the beginning of their need.

“We’ve got an overwhelming supply of clothing,” Steinberg said, “we’re really looking for the financial donations and the gift card donations.”

Anyone who would like to drop off donations for the families can bring them to KHTS AM-1220 studios in Newhall at 24320 Main St., or contact the Los Angeles River Ranger District group by calling 818-899-1900 and asking to speak with Linda.

On Friday, county officials will begin to set up the first assistance center to help victims of the Sand Fire.

Related story:  Officials To Set Up Assistance Center For #SandFire

The workshops will take place at Hart Park, inside Hart Hall, at 24151 Newhall Ave., in Newhall. The dates and times are Friday, Aug. 5, from 1-8 p.m.; Saturday, Aug. 6, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and Monday, Aug. 8, from 1-8 p.m.

More information is available by dialing 211. County officials are urging residents affected by the fire to contact the number or visit 211la.org and report their damages as soon as possible.

The center is available to all residents impacted by the recent Sand Fire that resulted in the evacuations of 10,000 homes and 20,000 people, according to a county news release.

County officials are seeking affordable mobile-home rentals to connect two of the families affected by the fire. Anyone who might have information or resources to help connect these families with affordable mobile home rentals is asked to call the KHTS AM-1220 at 661-298-1220.