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Contractors State License Board details wildfire outreach, warns residents to hire licensed contractors
Summary
At its March 14 meeting in Commerce, the Contractors State License Board reviewed its wildfire recovery work in Southern California, described staff presence at disaster recovery centers and urged residents to hire licensed contractors while warning of unscrupulous actors.
The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) on March 14 described its involvement in Southern California wildfire recovery efforts and urged residents rebuilding or repairing homes to hire licensed contractors.
Board Chair Michael Mark told the board the CSLB and staff have been working with the governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), local officials and disaster recovery centers since early January to provide consumer-protection information to wildfire survivors. He said the board observed CSLB staff providing information at recovery centers and asked the public for a moment of silence for lives lost in the fires.
Why it matters: the board said its presence is intended to protect consumers during the long rebuilding process, identify unlicensed activity and direct survivors to resources that can help them avoid fraud or unsafe construction work.
Mark said the board toured affected communities and visited recovery centers and described the scale of the events: “Between the two, over 18,000 structures were destroyed over nearly 38,000 acres, according to Cal Fire. Twenty-nine lives lost,” and he requested a moment of silence for those victims.
CSLB staff reported teams stationed at recovery centers in Pasadena and Los Angeles, participation in interagency rebuilding and recovery task forces and coordination with the California Department of Insurance to address unlicensed contracting and claims-adjuster conduct. The board thanked its “swift team” staff for extended hours assisting survivors and said staff have been present daily at recovery centers.
Board member Alan Guy briefed board members on safe debris removal and on work his company performed as part of debris-removal efforts; Chair Mark acknowledged Guy’s assistance in making staff available for briefings.
The board emphasized consumer protections during recovery. Mark warned residents to “watch out for the unscrupulous contractors that are taking advantage of a lot of the seniors that were affected,” and said the board will continue to encourage use of licensed contractors.
Staff described the recovery effort as long-term, with initial and follow-up phases under way; Mark said “it’s going to be a really long, hard rebuild over the next 4 to 6 years.” The CSLB said its role includes educating survivors about licensing, providing information at recovery sites and coordinating with other state agencies to align messaging and resources.
No formal board action was taken on this item; the board’s report was informational and staff said they will continue outreach and coordination.
The board recorded that staff have been working at recovery centers daily since mid-January and continue to coordinate with Cal OES, the California Department of Insurance and local officials to support consumer-protection activities during recovery.
