EPA Highlights New Mortgage Forbearance Extension Secured as LA Wildfire Survivors Rebuild
Private-sector relief bolsters federal efforts to ease the financial burden on families
LOS ANGELES — U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today highlighted a new private-sector commitment that has been secured to help Los Angeles wildfire survivors rebuild: Wells Fargo has extended mortgage forbearance up to an additional 12 months, for a total of 27 months, upon request by customers directly impacted by the January 2025 wildfires. This relief bolsters federal efforts to advance rebuild efforts in the wake of the California wildfires and underscores the homeowner financial strain EPA and its state, local and federal partners have repeatedly flagged during the recovery, mainly the burden on families paying a mortgage on a destroyed home while also paying rent for temporary housing as they wait to rebuild.
“EPA's cleanup cleared the path to rebuild, and private partners like Wells Fargo stepping up to ease the financial burden on survivors is exactly the public-private effort this recovery needs,” said Administrator Lee Zeldin.
“Supporting our communities has always been a priority at Wells Fargo,” said Serhat Oztop, head of Home Lending, Wells Fargo. “Our emphasis has been on expanding small business capital and housing options, and we remain committed to supporting the Los Angeles area through this process. Beyond the forbearance extension, Wells Fargo has donated more than $5 million across nine nonprofits focused on small business capital and housing and offers free financial coaching to individuals and business owners through HOPE Inside centers in select branches. Together, the measures give impacted homeowners additional breathing room as reconstruction gets underway.”
Following the Los Angeles wildfires in 2025, President Trump issued an executive order directing EPA to complete Phase 1 hazardous material removal within 30 days so that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) could proceed with Phase 2 debris removal. The Administration’s coordinated response became the largest and fastest federal wildfire recoveries in U.S. history.
EPA’s Los Angeles response marked the agency’s largest wildfire cleanup ever. In just 28 days, EPA teams surveyed and cleared 13,612 residential and 305 commercial properties for debris removal, safely disposing of more than 1,000 lithium-ion batteries from vehicles, homes, and other devices. More than 1,600 EPA staff from all ten regional offices were deployed to support this unprecedented operation.
EPA leadership has worked closely alongside President Donald Trump, the Small Business Administration, and other federal agencies, staying in regular contact with local officials to accelerate permitting and confront the pressures still facing survivors.
Property owners and residents seeking additional guidance are encouraged to visit L.A. County’s wildfire response website for post-fire guidance.