- Related: Firefighters honored at Dodgers Stadium
- Interactive map: Fires burn in SoCal
- Photos: Wildfires near L.A.
- Related: Fires raise questions on home insurance
- Link: Incident Information System
- Link: County of Los Angeles Fire Department
Close to 90 homes were lost in the devastating wildfire that raged through mountain communities and scorched more than 160,000 acres.
Now, there is concern that unlicensed contractors and scammers will try to take advantage of homeowners.
State insurance investigators teamed up with the /*CSLB*/ visiting properties and leaving information packets for residents.
"We distribute materials from our consumer services division and it advises them of their claims, procedures, what they can expect during their claim procedures, advises them about what to look out for unlicensed contractors, public adjusters, things like that," explained Larry Lay from the State Department of Insurance.
The Contractors State License Board offers advice for homeowners planning to rebuild or repair their houses.
- Hire only licensed contractors and ask to see their license
- Don't hire the first contractor that comes along, especially if they show up uninvited
- Don't rush into repairs, no matter how badly they're needed
- Don't pay more than 10 percent or $1,000, whichever is less, as a down payment
Homeowners are urged to use the available resources to do their homework.
Officials say it takes only minutes for a homeowner to use the CLSB website to check out a contractor's licensed status and history.
- Link: Check your contractor status and history
- Link: Learn claims and procedures with a licensed contractor
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