Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, San Joaquin & Stanislaus Counties · 2020

Recovery briefing: the SCU Lightning Complex

A short, practical map of disaster aid for people affected by the SCU Lightning Complex, built from the public federal disaster record for this fire. This is general recovery information, not legal advice.

Federal Individual Assistance was authorized

The SCU Lightning Complex was covered by a federal major disaster declaration (DR-4558-CA), declared August 22, 2020, and that declaration authorized Individual Assistance for affected residents. That is the layer of help meant for households: grants and programs that can fill gaps your insurance does not cover.

If your home was affected, you can confirm your address is included and begin an application at DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling the FEMA Helpline at 1-800-621-3362. Open your insurance claim first, then report your insurance to FEMA, because federal aid does not duplicate what insurance already pays.

Major disaster DR-4558-CA expressly covers the SCU Lightning Complex; Santa Clara and Stanislaus designated for Individual Assistance. Alameda, Contra Costa and San Joaquin were not designated.

Federal declaration record: DR-4558-CA, California Wildfires.

Federal status shown as of June 15, 2026, per FEMA. Program rules and declarations change, confirm your address before relying on them.

How the layers of help fit together

Disaster aid is layered, and the order you act in matters as much as the applications. Insurance sits at the bottom and is usually the largest source of recovery money. Federal grants and loans come next and are designed to fill what insurance does not cover, never to duplicate it. State, county, and nonprofit programs fill gaps below that, and 2-1-1 connects you to immediate needs like shelter and food. Work the layers in order and send each one the documentation the next one needs.

Where to start for the SCU Lightning Complex

FEMA, Cal OES, and disaster aidHow the federal and state programs work, who they are for, and the order to apply.Your insurance claimThe bottom layer of recovery, start to finish, from the first call to your adjuster.Documenting your lossesRebuild proof of what you owned, room by room, so every claim reflects the real value.Housing and moneyTemporary housing, living expenses, and bill relief that buy you time.The first 72 hoursSafe re-entry and the small early steps that protect your health and your claim.

This briefing is general recovery information for people affected by the SCU Lightning Complex. It is not legal, insurance, or financial advice, and reading it creates no professional relationship. Deadlines are not your personal deadline, they depend on facts specific to you, so confirm anything that affects a decision with the agency, your insurer, or a licensed professional before you act. To see this fire's cause, impact, and litigation status, return to the SCU Lightning Complex record.