LOS ANGELES — With the recent wildfires ravaging parts of the Los Angeles area, many dry cleaners are not only having to deal with the immediate impact on their stores and communities, but will be feeling the effects for months or years to come.
“I was talking to a dry cleaner in Pacific Palisades, and he said that his business is not going to come back for years because there are no more customers,” says Ray Rangwala, president of the California Cleaners Association (CCA). “We’re talking about almost 1,000 houses. He’s in a shopping center that is safe, but his immediate customer base is now down to rubble.”
While it will be some time before the scope of the damage can be assessed, Rangwala says he knows there are cleaners who have lost their stores because of the fire.
“At this time, there’s at least eight or nine stores we know about that have burned,” he says, “and probably a bunch of mom-and-pops that we do not know about.”
Rangwala, also president of the Glendale-based Esteem Cleaners, says his own business, including two drycleaning stores and a CRDN location, has been impacted by the blazes.
“I have one store that is about a mile away from the fires,” he says, “so we cannot make deliveries to the customers because the roads are not open. The other store is about 10 miles away, so we’re okay on that part. The CRDN store is keeping me busy because of claims from the fire.”
Rangwala has found that even stores not directly impacted by the fires are having trouble with their daily routines.
“In the last few days, all the roads were open,” he says, “but then the National Guard came in and now we can’t go anywhere because they’re asking us to stay in place because of looting. It’s not fun.”
Pulling Together
Rangwala says that the CCA is working to help cleaners as they attempt to rebuild, and is working with CRM companies to determine who has been most impacted by the fires.
“I’m hoping to go see each of the cleaners,” he says, “and at least try to talk with them face-to-face to see what they need and find out how we can help.”
The CCA is raising money to help support affected cleaners but is also accepting materials for immediate needs.
“The water in Pasadena is not safe to drink,” Rangwala says, “so we’re starting to collect water as a drycleaning association. I put out a blurb on social media and we’re getting help from people all across the country. We’re trying to get 20 or 30 cases of water right now to each cleaner in affected neighborhoods. They can use it for themselves or for their customers as they’re doing their rounds.”
Planning for an Unclear Future
While the fires are his focus right now, Rangwala urges all dry cleaners to prepare for emergencies before they happen, because they can happen to anyone, anywhere.
“Everybody should take videos, pictures, and inventory lists of what they have,” he says, “and upload it to Google Drive or someplace where it’s safe. You might have to run out with a five-minute notice and there’s no time to do it then. For those of us who live in these mountains in Southern California, the topography is such that it’s going to happen to each one of us someday, so just be ready.”
As for advice to affected cleaners, Rangwala isn’t overly optimistic for the near future.
“At this point, don’t think of coming back to reopening for at least another year and a half or two,” he says, “because the roads are a mess and it’s going to take a while for those new buildings to be constructed. Just use whatever insurance you have and rethink your options.
“There’s no quick fix to this one. This is a big fire, and we all have to rethink what we’re going to do for the next couple of years because the rents are not free.”
Anyone wishing to help California cleaners impacted by the wildfires can contact the CCA at 714-724-6800 or email [email protected].
Have a question or comment? E-mail our editor Dave Davis at [email protected].
