A Sacramento-based consumer practice today switched on a toll-free helpline aimed at homeowners stuck in a paperwork logjam after a wildfire. The number—1-888-CAL-FIRE-LAW—connects callers with a licensed fire damage lawyer in less time than it takes to brew a pot of coffee, according to founding partner Elena Ruiz of McAllister & Ruiz LLP.
Ruiz says the idea grew out of dozens of late-night emails from families who had filed claims weeks earlier and were still waiting for a first inspection. “We kept hearing the same story: the adjuster was reassigned, the desk reviewer went on leave, the file landed in ‘special handling,’” she explained. “Meanwhile children are sleeping on inflatable beds and contractors won’t lock in a bid because prices keep jumping.”
The hotline operates every day, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Callers receive a ten-minute triage session in which an attorney walks through policy deadlines, living-expense rules, and evidence the carrier is entitled to request. Homeowners who need deeper help can hire the firm on a contingency basis—“no retainer, no hourly meter,” Ruiz noted—but she estimates nearly half the calls will end with free coaching alone. “Sometimes a clear timeline and the right statute citation push a file off the shelf,” she said.
Delays are multiplying
Senior litigator Marcus Chen, a former catastrophe-team adjuster who now works as a fire damage claims attorney, points to three bottlenecks: short-staffed field teams, supply-chain price spikes that force repeated estimates, and confusion over code-upgrade language in older policies. “When a house built in 1972 needs sprinklers and solar-ready wiring, the cost model blows up,” he said. “Carrier algorithms are still catching up.”
Chen’s caseload now includes cabins in Trinity County, tract homes outside Stockton, and a Laguna Niguel condo that has sat gutted since February. Each file, he says, tells the same tale: money approved for debris removal, then silence. “A quick letter on firm letterhead from a fire damage insurance claim attorney often restarts the clock,” he added, “but no one should have to lawyer-up just to get the first draw.”
One family’s turning point
Ventura teacher Laura Kim remembers the day she dialed what was then the firm’s direct office line. “Our insurer kept promising an engineer; nobody came,” she recalled. After Kim signed a limited-scope agreement, the firm subpoenaed moisture-intrusion tests and secured an interim check that covered four months of rent. Construction finally began last week. “That call changed the trajectory of our year,” she said.
Free Saturday clinics
Recognizing that many residents prefer face-to-face help, the firm will host pop-up legal clinics in community centers from Redding to Chula Vista. Attendees will learn how to photograph a smoke-stained attic, preserve a damaged appliance for inspection, and track out-of-pocket receipts—tips that can save thousands even without hiring a fire loss damage attorney.
Three must-do steps before the next red-flag warning
“Wildfire recovery should run on construction schedules, not endless email threads,” Ruiz said. “The hotline is our way of handing the microphone back to homeowners who have already lost enough.”
For immediate assistance, dial 1-888-CAL-FIRE-LAW or visit CaliforniaFireDamageAttorney.com
Media ContactCompany Name: California Fire Damage AttorneyEmail: Send EmailAddress:5690 San Pablo Ave City: EmeryvilleState: CA 94608Country: United StatesWebsite: californiafiredamageattorney.com
