Turnbull Canyon Fire Victims Declared Eligible for Federal Disaster Repair Loans

Owners of 14 homes that were destroyed by a July 3 brush fire in Hacienda Heights may be breathing a sigh of relief.

The area, 1,500 acres of charred fruit orchards and upper-middle-class homes, has just been declared a disaster area by the U.S. Small Business Administration, making homeowners eligible for loans to repair the damage.

The swirling blaze tore through Turnbull Canyon and ruined two garages, seven vehicles and 10 other structures, whose owners can also apply for the loans through the agency’s Los Angeles branch. Damages to structures and personal property were estimated at $5.2 million, and $1.8 million worth of landscaping and orchards burned. Land and property worth about $1.6 million was uninsured or under-insured.

‘Rebuild Lives’

“This is terrific news because of all the devastation,” said Judy Hammond, spokeswoman for Los Angeles County Supervisor Pete Schabarum, who represents the area. “It was not only an emotional hardship but a financial hardship. The money will help rebuild lives.”

The disaster program offers up to $100,000 for each damaged home, up to $20,000 for personal property, and up to $500,000 for businesses.

The absence of financial assistance from local agencies prompted Schabarum and his colleagues to turn to the state, which in turn asked the Small Business Administration to declare the ruined area a disaster area. Although the recent action comes 2 1/2 months after the fire, applicants probably won’t see money for three more months, said Lynda Schuler, spokeswoman for U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson (R-Calif.), who announced the agency’s decision Thursday.

“When the (October, 1987) Whittier earthquake came through, they expedited the funds,” Schuler said, “but (the victims of the Hacienda Heights fire) are a small number, at least in the government’s eyes.”