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Is FEMA paying $25K in immediate aid to LA fire victims? No, that's satire | Fact check

Katie Smith   Paste BN
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The claim: FEMA paid North Carolina hurricane victims $750, while LA fire victims received $25,000

A Jan. 9 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) claims a federal emergency response agency is offering more money to California wildfire survivors than to North Carolina residents affected by Hurricane Helene.

“FEMA PAYOUTS: North Carolina Working Class Hurricane Survivors: $750,” reads text in the post. “California Millionaires with Disaster Insurance: $25,000."

A logo in the upper lefthand corner of the image says, “America’s Last Line of Defense,” and “Nothing on this page is real.”  

Despite this, several commenters appeared to interpret the post as factual.

“That is totally shameful,” one person wrote. Another asked, “Do you see the discrimination here?”

The post was shared more than 1,000 times in one week and also circulated on TikTok.

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Our rating: Satire

FEMA isn’t paying thousands more to California wildfire victims than it did to Hurricane Helene victims. The post originated from a satirical account. People affected by the California fires can apply for a maximum of $770 in Serious Needs Aid, similar to the $750 in aid available to some Hurricane Helene survivors.

Hurricane, fire victims can receive similar FEMA aid for immediate needs

The Facebook post was shared by an account affiliated with the "America's Last Line of Defense" network of satirical accounts. The account’s intro section states that “Nothing on this page is real,” its profile image includes a notation that it is satire, and its publisher, Christopher Blair, previously told Paste BN that none of the stories he posts are authentic.

Fires across the Greater Los Angeles area have killed at least 25 people since Jan. 7. Officials are working to contain the blazes, which have damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 structures throughout the region, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

As FEMA delivers aid in California, the agency is also tending to hurricane relief efforts on the other side of the country. Less than four months have passed since Hurricane Helene forged a destructive path from the Gulf Coast to the mountains of North Carolina, causing $60 billion in damages and needs.

Some Hurricane Helene victims received $750 in FEMA aid known as Serious Needs Assistance. The one-time payment is designed for emergency use to help cover the costs of basic necessities such as baby formula, personal hygiene items and fuel. But as Paste BN previously reported, this is not the only assistance available to victims of Hurricane Helene.

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And contrary to the post’s claim, FEMA offered similar initial payments to California fire survivors.

California wildfire survivors can apply for the same aid, which, as of Oct. 1, 2024, provides a maximum of $770 to eligible applicants. There is no credible news reporting about $25,000 in FEMA funds being made available to victims of the California wildfires.

Jayce Genco, a FEMA spokesperson, confirmed the claim was false in an email to Paste BN and added, "No resources have been taken from North Carolina to respond to other disasters."

While FEMA aid is limited, estimated insured losses in California range from $10 billion to $40 billion, according to Bloomberg.

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Paste BN is a verified signatory of the International Fact-Checking Network, which requires a demonstrated commitment to nonpartisanship, fairness and transparency. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta.

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