Laguna Beach : $280,000 Granted for Ongoing Fire Relief

The U.S. Department of Labor last week granted $280,000 to Orange County to use for ongoing relief efforts stemming from last year’s fire that destroyed hundreds of homes in Laguna Beach.

The $280,000 is part of a $1.2-million federal grant to give temporary work to people who lost their jobs as a result of the fires in Orange, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Ventura counties, according to a statement from the office of Rep. Christopher Cox (R-Newport Beach), whose district includes Laguna Beach.

The grant will be used to hire about 40 workers to participate in ongoing cleanup operations in Laguna Beach, said Margo West, manager of planning at the Orange County Private Industry Council, which will allocate the money in Orange County. The grant allows each person hired to work a maximum of six months and earn up to $6,000.

“This is to help individuals potentially displaced by the fire and the long-term unemployed,� West said.

On Feb. 1, West said, her organization will contact Laguna Beach officials and begin the search for people who lost homes in which they lived and worked.