6 Months After the LA Fires: What Nicole Wishes She Knew Before Her House Burned Down

Six months ago, Nicole Lapin lost her home in the LA fires. Today, she opens up about what the last six months have really looked like: the emotional toll, the bureaucratic maze of FEMA and SBA, the painful process of replacing IDs and legal documents, and the financial strain of waiting on insurance. But this isn’t just a story of loss—it's a roadmap for anyone facing a crisis. Nicole shares hard-won lessons, must-do prep work (digital go-bags are non-negotiable), and why asking for help is not weakness—it’s strategy. Plus, she pulls back the curtain on the systemic cracks in disaster recovery that often go unspoken. 

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