Latest news with #firevictims
Khaleej Times
11 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
'No need to leave': Dubai Marina fire victims to continue at shelters after KT report
Hundreds of Marina Pinnacle fire victims who were earlier asked to vacate their temporary shelters by noon on Friday, June 20, can finally breathe a little easier. An official from Bunat Al Mustaqbil Owners Association, which manages Marina Pinnacle Tower (also known as Tiger Tower), confirmed to Khaleej Times on Friday that accommodation for all displaced residents has now been extended until further notice. 'Yes, we have extended for everyone until further notice,' the official said, without offering further details. The move comes hours after Khaleej Times reported that nearly 350 residents across four locations—Millennium Al Barsha, Samaya Hotel Apartments in Wadi Al Safa 3, Samaya Hotel in Deira, and Nobles Tower in Business Bay—had been given notices asking them to vacate by 12 noon on June 20. At Millennium Al Barsha, residents said they were informed by staff that they were no longer required to leave. MZ, who is staying at the hotel, told Khaleej Times: 'The staff at the reception told me not to worry. They said we don't need to check out and can stay for now. It was a huge relief.' Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels. Another Marina Pinnacle Tower resident staying at Nobles Tower, a 53-storey building in Business Bay, said: 'Building security staff went around all the apartments. They said police told them no one has to leave. Management has asked them to collect our details like IDs and tenancy contracts so that's what they're doing,' she said. At Samaya Hotel Apartments in Wadi Al Safa, where this journalist visited on Thursday evening, anxious residents expressed relief. 'We've been sitting with our bags packed all morning,' said one man. 'Now they've told us we can stay, and we're thankful. But we still need clarity. Some sort of written assurance would help.' Confusion, however, persists at Samaya Hotel in Deira, where not all residents have received clear instructions. 'A security staff member said we're staying. There's been no official notice, but I think it must be true as it's past noon and I'm still here,' said one resident. Help continues to pour Meanwhile, support efforts continue for those without any housing. A WhatsApp group called 'Accommodation for Tiger Towers', started by Australian expat Sevgi Anar, has become a lifeline for scores still stranded. Anar, who lives across from the fire-ravaged building, has been negotiating discounted rates with hotels and matching those in need with individuals offering spare rooms. 'Many of the people who need help were in shared accommodations. It's a huge challenge, but we're not giving up,' she said, while helping a couple check into a hotel on Friday afternoon. 'People are still stepping up. The community spirit is incredible.' On June 13, a massive fire broke out at Marina Pinnacle Tower, a 67-storey residential skyscraper in Dubai Marina also referred to locally as Tiger Tower. The fire erupted around 9.30pm and was brought under control by early morning. The Dubai Media Office later confirmed that all 3,820 residents from 764 apartments had been safely evacuated. No injuries were reported.
CBC
3 days ago
- CBC
Nova Scotia RCMP investigating 2 fatal fires
Nova Scotia RCMP are investigating two fatal fires that happened on Sunday and Monday. The first, a house fire in Shelburne County, happened Sunday. Police said first responders were called to the scene at 1:35 a.m. AT on West Head Road in West Head, N.S. When they arrived, the house was engulfed in flames, said a news release. A 74-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said a dog that lived with the man was found dead inside the home. Police do not consider the fire to be suspicious. Second fire The second fire was reported in Colchester County at 6:30 a.m. on Monday near the 4000 block of Alton Road in Alton, N.S. First responders arrived to a residence that was also fully engulfed, said a separate news release. Once the fire was out, human remains were found inside the home. Police did not provide further identifying details about the remains. While police do not consider the fire to be suspicious, they are looking to talk to anybody who may know more about it. Colchester County District RCMP can be reached directly at 902-896-5000. Anonymous tips can be shared with Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
L.A. County fire victims sue State Farm for negligence, claim they were 'grossly underinsured'
Six couples and one individual who lost their homes in the devastating Los Angeles fires are suing State Farm, claiming that they were "misled" by the insurance company and that their homes were deliberately and "grossly underinsured." The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court in Los Angeles on Monday, alleges that State Farm General — the California home insurer that is part of the larger State Farm Group based in Bloomington, Ill. — took advantage of homeowner's lack of knowledge about rebuilding costs and set projected replacement costs far lower than the actual costs, leaving fire victims without enough money to replace or rebuild their homes. State Farm, California's largest home insurer, has engaged in a "multi-faceted illegal scheme" that is designed to "reap enormous illicit profits by deceptively misleading over a million homeowners in California," the complaint alleges. The lawsuit alleges negligence, breach of contract and several other causes of action, and seeks compensatory and punitive damages and reform of State Farm's policies. Representatives for State Farm did not immediately respond to a request for comment. This marks the second time L.A. fire victims have sued insurers because they believe they were systematically underinsured. USAA and two insurers affiliated with AAA were sued in early June by policyholders with similar claims that they did not have enough money to rebuild. Read more: Los Angeles County fire victims sue AAA and USAA, alleging insurance fraud Of the seven households who are a part of the lawsuit, four were from Altadena, two were from the Pacific Palisades and one was from Sierra Madre. Each of the homeowners had policies with State Farm, and some were underinsured by more than $2 million when their homes were completely destroyed by the Palisades and Eaton fires. In one instance outlined in the lawsuit, homeowners wrote to their State Farm agent prior to the January fires to confirm whether the dwelling limit of just over $1 million would sufficiently cover the cost of rebuilding their Altadena home. The agent confirmed the amount covered the total cost to rebuild. After their home burned down, the estimates the couple received to rebuild were in excess of $3 million, the lawsuit says. The lawsuit comes days after State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara announced his department is launching a formal inquiry into how State Farm General is handling thousands of claims filed by fire victims after receiving complaints. Read more: State regulators launch inquiry into State Farm's handling of fire claims As of June 12, State Farm said it has received more than 12,800 claims related to the fires and has paid over $4.03 billion to its California customers. State Farm has also been named as a defendant in an April lawsuit filed by homeowners who accuse dozens of insurers of colluding over the last several years to force them into the California FAIR Plan, the insurer of last resort that offers limited, but typically expensive, coverage. The homeowners claim the insurers refused to write new policies in fire-prone areas and then profited from the higher premiums while reducing their liabilities with the FAIR Plan in the event of a catastrophe like the January fires. Read more: Did insurers collude to force homeowners onto state insurance plan? What to know from two blockbuster lawsuits The latest lawsuit against State Farm claims that the insurer's alleged collusion with other carriers to push homeowners onto the FAIR Plan meant the only policies left for the company were ones that "carried deliberately suppressed coverage limits of sufficiently low magnitude," posing a lesser exposure risk for State Farm. The average homeowner, the complaint states, would have little reason to question the replacement costs estimated by State Farm because it writes over a million California homeowners insurance policies each year by generating reconstruction cost estimates. The policyholders in the suit, as well as several other impacted homeowners, the lawsuit said, are unable to rebuild their homes without "relief from the legal system." Times staff writer Laurence Darmiento contributed to this report. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Thousands of wildfire victims are having tax refunds sent back - Here's how to get your money
The Brief Thousands of victims of January's Palisades and Eaton fires are entitled to some money from Los Angeles County. County officials have started mailing checks, but many are getting sent back, because the mailing addresses are for destroyed buildings. Anyone who's eligible for money from the county should update their address on the LA County Assessor's website. LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - If you lost your home in the Palisades or Eaton fires earlier this year, Los Angeles County may owe you some money. The county has started sending out checks, but thousands are being sent back. FOX 11 spoke with LA County Assessor Jeff Prang about how you can make sure you get your money. The backstory The Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed more than 16,000 structures between the Pacific Palisades, Pasadena and Altadena communities. After the fires, the Assessor's Office re-evaluated the value of properties in the disaster zones. Many properties saw their value lowered, entitling owners to tax refunds. SUGGESTED: California lawmakers announce new legislation supporting inmate firefighters Thousands of checks have already gone out, but fire victims can also apply for relief on the Assessor's website, Dig deeper The County Auditor-Controller has already sent out thousands of checks to those who are entitled to some money, but there's one big problem. In many cases, the address of record is the destroyed property, so the Post Office is sending the checks back, marking them undeliverable. SUGGESTED: PCH is back open, and Malibu businesses couldn't be happier Prang says they've already gotten some of the checks back, and he expects thousands more to follow. The fix is simple. All you have to do is update your mailing address on the Assessor's Office website at The Source Information in this story is from an interview with Los Angeles County Assessor Jeff Prang, the county Assessor's website, and City News Service.
CBS News
20-05-2025
- General
- CBS News
Eaton Fire survivors whose homes burned down have been denied from LA County relief grant
Some Eaton Fire victims say they've been told they're ineligible for a Los Angeles County relief grant program because their homes didn't actually burn down, even though all that's left is ash and rubble. The LA County Household Relief Grant awards fire victims up to $18,000, and it can be used for things that are not covered by insurance and other assistance. The program has been critical for those who are uninsured or underinsured, but two women say they have been denied by the program because the county claims their homes are still standing. "So this is the lovely place I called home for many years with myself and my dog, Lola," said Lidia Medel, who lost her home during the Eaton Fire. Medel adored her little one-bedroom cottage in Altadena. "This was my sanctuary. I am heartbroken over the fact that I am no longer here," she said. "I loved my apartment and anybody who knows me knows how much I loved Altadena." At 63 years old, Medel thought she would live out the rest of her life here. Instead, she is bunking at a friend's house. Since she didn't have rental insurance, she immediately started looking for outside help. "When I came across the LA county household grant, I applied right away and I was denied," Medel said. In an email response, Medel was told her application was denied because her apartment "was not destroyed and/or us not uninhabitable." "I was told to go back into my apartment and live in it," Medel said. "I just felt like I got punched in the stomach all over again, where I have to prove to my own county that my apartment is destroyed." Altadena renter Kate Alexandria was also denied for the grant. "Saying that my application was not accepted because my residence wasn't destroyed or made uninhabitable by the fire, and as you can see, my residence is a pile of rubble," Alexandria said. When CBS News Los Angeles reached out to the LA County Consumer and Business Affairs, which controls the Fire Relief Grant Program, they were told that any applicant found to be ineligible could request an appeal, and that both women have pending appeals. CBS News Los Angeles also contacted Supervisor Kathryn Barger's office. "We are allocating grants, and I'm not happy with the pace at which that money is being allocated," Barger said. "But at the same time, when I talk to DCBA, who is allocating the money, they tell me that about three out of 10 are deemed eligible, and then there's fraud." But in these two cases, where there is clearly no fraud, Barger says the women shouldn't have to wait this long for relief. "My office briefed me that one was told to resubmit all the documents, even though they submitted them once before. That's unacceptable," Barger said. Both Alexandria and Medel say they're running out of patience. "LA County could really change my life right now, and instead, they're making it harder," Alexandria said. Both women are also dealing with the added expense of future rent. Medel used to pay $1,300 a month for rent and she says she hasn't found anything at that rate. Most of what she has seen is closer to $2,000 a month.
