How To Get Help : A Guide To Coping With Fire : Directory

* Public Firestorm Hot Line

(800) 525-0321

This number has been set up for information about crisis counseling, loans, taxes, federal and state disaster assistance and Red Cross shelters.

* L.A. County Disaster Information Line

(800) 244-4766

This number also provides information about counseling, disaster aid, Red Cross shelters, insurance, road closures, donations, animal assistance, utilities and more.

* L.A. County Assessor’s Office

213-974-3211

* L.A. County Sheriff’s Department

213-526-5541

* L.A. County Fire Department

213-881-2413

* L.A. City Fire Department

213-485-5162

* L.A. County Department of

Social Services

800-77 DONATE

CRISIS COUNSELING Among the groups providing counseling or referrals to counseling for fire victims:

* Los Angeles County Department

of Mental Health

(800) 854-7771 has been set up as a toll-free information and referral hot line for people who have been emotionally affected by the fires. In addition, two county centers are offering free counseling to victims.

* West Valley Mental Health Center

8101 Sepulveda Blvd.

Van Nuys

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays

(818)-901-0327

* Santa Monica West Mental Health Center

1525 Euclid St.

Santa Monica

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays

(310) 458-2400

* Las Encinas Hospital

Pasadena

(800) 443-5744 is a counseling line for fire victims only, staffed 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. A fire victim support group will meet from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. tonight at the hospital at 2900 E. Del Mar Blvd., Pasadena. Call (818) 356-2770 for more information.

* Antioch Counseling Center

13274 Fiji Way, 4th floor

Marina Del Rey

(310) 319-2716

Offering four sessions free of charge to fire victims. Call for Steve Fine or Roberta Mahan for appointments.

* Catholic Charities

8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays

(213) 251-3400

For professional psychological counseling and referrals to counseling in your area.

* Jewish Family Service of Greater

Los Angeles

Providing crisis counseling or referrals on a non-sectarian basis.

(213) 852-7723

(818) 587-3333

* Pine Grove Hospital and Mental

Health Center

7011 Shoup Avenue

Canoga Park

(800) 224-7999

Offering food, shelter and free initial counseling for displaced fire victims. Psychiatrists on staff are also available to travel free of charge to nearby emergency rooms and shelters to counsel burn victims and their families.

* Note: Crisis intervention counselors are also available at all Red Cross shelter sites; see Shelters section for locations.

FINANCIAL AID * L.A. Archdiocese Emergency

Financial Aid

The Cardinal McIntyre Fund for Charity can provide funds for immediate housing, food, clothing, medical support or other needs connected with the fires.

(213) 251-3438

Shelters The American Red Cross has opened shelters for fire evacuees at the following locations:

CALABASAS/MALIBU AREA

* Palisades High School

15777 Bowdoin St.

Pacific Palisades

* Malibu Community Center

6955 Fernhill Drive

Malibu

* Calabasas High School

22855 Mulholland Highway

Calabasas

* Santa Monica High School

601 Pico Blvd.

Santa Monica

Schools Here are the public and private schools that will be closed today.

SANTA MONICA/MALIBU UNIFIED

* Malibu High School

* Webster Elementary School

* Cabrillo Elementary School

Call (310) 450-8338 for closure updates.

LOS ANGELES UNIFIED Call (213) 625-4000 in English and (213) 625-4643 in Spanish for closure updates.

* Palisades High School

* Topanga Elementary School

Children from this school are being sent to Justice Elementary School in Canoga Park the rest of this week.

* Marquez Elementary School

* Pacific Palisades Elementary School

PRIVATE SCHOOLS * Our Lady of Malibu School

(310) 456-8071

* St. Mathew’s School

(310) 454-1350

* Village School

(310) 459-8411

Mail Pickup * Topanga Canyon residents

Post offices are closed today. Mail may be picked up from noon to 5 p.m. at the Colorado Mail Facility, 1020 Colorado Ave., Santa Monica.

* Malibu residents

The Malibu post office on Pacific Coast Highway is open today but there will be no deliveries. Mail may be picked up at the post office.

Utilities & Other Services Southern California Edison and other utilities and agencies have set up centers to answer any utility- and service-

related questions. In addition, Edison will continue to waive electric bills for customers who lost their homes in the Malibu-Topanga, Beaumont and Cherry Valley areas. Customers will not have to pay for electricity use between their last bill and the fire.

SAN GABRIEL VALLEY

* Foothill Service

Restoration Center

Altadena Senior Center

560 E. Mariposa Ave.

Two blocks west of Lake Avenue

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

through Sunday

(800) 300-0073

* Participants:

Southern California Edison

Southern California Gas Co.

Pacific Bell

Waste Management Inc.

Several water districts

American Red Cross

U.S. Postal Service

Disaster Aid Centers State authorities and the Federal Emergency Management Agency have set up assistance centers to help victims.

* Hours: The centers listed are open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. and can provide information on low-interest loans for residents and business owners who sustained losses. Victims can go to any of these centers, no matter where they live.

* Other programs: Crisis counseling; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance on legal issues, veterans benefits and Social Security matters. Also, rental payments for temporary housing; grants for making minimal repairs to primary residences that are habitable, and unemployment payments for some workers who temporarily lost jobs.

* Hot line: FEMA’s disaster hot line for general information is (800) 525-0321 and is staffed 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

* Phone program: You may apply for assistance over the telephone by calling (800) 462-9029, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, if you are prepared to provide basic information, details about your insurance coverage and other information to help substantiate your losses.

* Arcadia Community

Regional Park

405 S. Santa Anita Ave.

* Ventura County Sheriff’s

Training Facility

Camarillo Airport

273 E. Pleasant Valley Road

* Riverside County

French Valley Airport

37552 Winchester Road

Murrieta

* San Bernardino and

San Diego counties

Call FEMA’s hot line:

(800) 462-9029

Pets ASSISTANCE

* L.A. County Animal Care and Control

(310) 940-8888, staffed 24 hours a day, makes referrals for six county shelters and takes requests for help in moving large animals, such as horses. In addition, food is available at these shelters for pets of fire victims, even if they are not being boarded.

* Agoura Animal Shelter

29525 Agoura Road

Agoura Hills

(818) 991-0071

* Los Angeles SPCA/Southern

California Humane Society

(800) 730-4226. A referral line for animal shelters, including paying expenses for veterinary care if needed. Staffed 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

* L.A. Equestrian Center

Horse owners who need help moving their animals to safety may call (818) 973-1042.

BOARDING * Veterinary Centers of America

(800) 822-7387

To board any pet, excluding farm animals and horses, VCA has 11 hospitals in the Southern California area. These are the VCA facilities nearest the Calabasas/Malibu fire:

* VCA Parkwood Animal Hospital

6330 Fallbrook Ave.

Woodland Hills

(818) 884-5506

* VCA Agoura Meadows

Animal Hospital

5605 Kanan Road

Agoura Hills

(818) 889-0810

Traffic These road closures were in effect Wednesday evening.

* Pacific Coast Highway from the Santa Monica Freeway in Santa Monica to Las Posas Road in Ventura County.

* No access to PCH from the city of Santa Monica.

* Westbound Santa Monica Freeway from 4th Street in Santa Monica to PCH.

* Northbound Topanga Canyon Boulevard at PCH.

* Southbound Topanga Canyon Boulevard at the Ventura Freeway.

* California Incline onto northbound PCH.

* Westbound Sunset Boulevard off-ramps of San Diego Freeway in both directions.

* Las Virgenes Road from Mulholland Highway to PCH.

* Kanan Dume Road from Mulholland Highway to PCH.

* Mulholland Highway from Kanan Dume Road to Old Topanga Road.

* Topanga Canyon Road from Ventura Freeway to PCH.

* Cross Creek Road and PCH intersection.

* Topanga Canyon Road off-ramps of Ventura Freeway in both directions.

* Old Topanga Road from Mulholland Highway to PCH.

* Old Topanga Road and Old Church Road intersection.

* PCH and Coastline Road intersection.

* Fernwood Pacific Drive and Topanga Canyon Boulevard intersection.

Insurance Several insurance companies have established toll-free, emergency phone lines to handle claims from fire victims. Insurance officials suggest that consumers try to contact their own agents first and use the emergency numbers only if they are unable to reach their agents. Officials also caution that the lines are meant only for consumers with fire claims, not for vendors offering services or other non-emergency calls.

* Auto Club of Southern California:

(800) 67 CLAIM

* Allstate: (800) 755-4126

* Chubb Group: (800) 446-6618

* Farmer’s Group: (800) 543-5736

* Fireman’s Fund: (800) 548-HELP

* Liberty Mutual regional claims offices:

Orange: (800) 303-9801

Westlake Village: (800) 345-4584

Ontario: (800) 526-7994

* SAFECO (800) 452-7117

* State Farm: (800) SF CLAIM

* California Department of Insurance

Consumer hot line: (800) 927-HELP

* Western Insurance

Information Service

(industry-sponsored educational organization):

(800) 397-1679

Donations Among the groups offering help:

RED CROSS The American Red Cross is accepting monetary donations only. Make check out to American Red Cross and earmark it for the Disaster Relief Fund. You may designate the fire for which you want your donation used.

* Los Angeles Chapter

2700 Wilshire Blvd.

Los Angeles 90057

SALVATION ARMY The Salvation Army is accepting clothing, blankets, non-perishable food items and money for fire victims. See your telephone directory for the Salvation Army drop-off point nearest you. The main Disaster Services Office in Downtown L.A. is listed for donations:

* 916 Francisco St.

Los Angeles 90015

OTHER GROUPS

* United Way Fire Relief Fund

621 S. Virgil Ave.

Los Angeles 90005

(213) 736-1300, Ext. 348

Make check or money order out to “United Way Inc. Fire Relief”

* Fire Emergency Relief Fund

Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles

P.O. Box 2164

Los Angeles 90051

(213) 482-2040

Make check or money order out to “Bishop’s Discretionary Fund.”

* California Community Foundation

Soliciting money to distribute through local nonprofit organizations in Altadena, Ventura County and Orange County. You may send checks with area designated.

Southern California Fire Fund

California Community Foundation

606 Olive St.

Los Angeles 90014

* World Vision

Accepting donations for neighborhood cleanup and recovery programs.

World Vision Fire Relief Fund

P.O. Box 1131

Pasadena 91311

* Operation USA

Accepting money for long-term assistance to community organizations damaged in the fire and soliciting corporate gifts of plastic sheeting to seal damaged houses against rain.

Operation USA

c/o Los Angeles Fires

8320 Melrose Ave.

Los Angeles 90069

(213) 658-8876

* Lutheran Social Services

Accepting money, clothing, bedding and canned food.

1010 E. Locust St.

Pasadena 91106

* Bethany Church

Accepting canned food, children’s clothing, household goods and furniture.

93 N. Baldwin Ave.

Sierra Madre

* Catholic Charities

Fire Disaster Relief

1400 W. 9th St.

Los Angeles 90015

(210) 251-3400

Compiled by Times researchers TRACY THOMAS

and D’JAMILA SALEM

Aid to Fire Victims

* Businesses or organizations that wish to offer free services for fire victims may call The Times at (800) 234-4444 to offer assistance. Or call TimesLink at 808-8463, *8300 to leave a recorded message. The Times will publish the services at no charge.