The Latest Incident Information from CBA on the California Wildfires

How you can help, resources and more information


Our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by the devastating fires raging across California. We recognize that the immediate focus of our colleagues and friends in these regions is on ensuring the safety of their family and loved ones.

How CBA Is Helping
CBA has been reaching out to our bankers affected by these fires to express our concern, and offer our assistance and support. We know that they are doing everything within their control to assure their employees, customers and others in the community are receiving the support that they may need in this time of crisis. If your bank has been impacted by these fires and CBA has not yet reached out to you, please contact us and let us know if there is any way we can be of assistance.

On the regulatory front, CBA has been, and remains, in contact with state and federal regulators to facilitate open communication channels regarding the impacts on supervised financial institutions. The governor has issued an Executive Order to expedite recovery efforts in communities impacted by the wildfires.The DBO has also issued orders authorizing closure of state-chartered bank offices located in Napa, Sonoma, Yuba, Butte, Lake, Mendocino, Nevada, Solano and Orange counties due to the wildfires.

The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco has also announced disaster relief efforts, including increasing CIP and ACE program limits and the availability of matching funds for disaster relief donations.

The FDIC has announced steps to provide regulatory relief to financial institutions and facilitate recovery in areas of California affected by recent wildfires. The FDIC is encouraging banks to work constructively with borrowers experiencing difficulties beyond their control because of damage the fires. It will also consider regulatory relief from certain filing and publishing requirements.

The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has also directed banks affected by the California wildfires to contact FinCEN and their functional regulators as soon as possible to discuss any delays in their ability to file Bank Secrecy Act reports.

How You Can Help
Relief for those impacted by the fires is being provided by several charitable organizations, as well as private businesses and individuals:

  • The American Red Cross has established a webpage regarding their Northern California wildfire relief efforts which includes several resources for those directly impacted, as well as opportunities for individuals to provide financial contributions.
  • The Salvation Army has also mobilized staff and volunteers to provide meals to evacuees at designated disaster relief centers in the affected counties. Information regarding their Northern California response efforts can be found here, and here, for their Southern California relief efforts. 

How to Stay Informed on the Latest

Consumers may visit their bank’s website for the latest information on branch closures. Fire victims can also apply for property tax relief. Click here for more information.
Please visit CalFire’s website at www.fire.ca.gov/ and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services website here for the latest fire information.

Follow CBA on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn for the latest information from our member banks.