The L.A. Wildfires - Understanding What's Next

The January firestorm that surged across Southern California created havoc in multiple communities, stretched firefighting resources to the bone, killed more than two dozen people, and destroyed tens of thousands of acres and tens of thousands of homes. Reading that and understanding that it’s an actual description of unforeseen wind-driven fire destruction makes you want to close up shop and go home - unless you don’t have one anymore.

So what happens now?

The city faces significant challenges in rebuilding, debris removal, and facilitating residents' return to their homes. The fires have caused extensive damage, destroying over 12,000 structures and producing hazardous debris laden with toxic materials such as asbestos and mercury. The process of clearing this debris is complex and time-consuming. People want to start rebuilding or managing their properties today. The idea of waiting months seems unacceptable to them. Multiple community meetings with city, State, and Federal leadership have often been animated, with residents seeking clear answers and the uncertainty of what may frequently be involved, resulting in an inability to respond completely.

L.A. Mayor Karen Bass issued an executive order to expedite rebuilding by streamlining permitting and debris removal processes to facilitate rapid reconstruction for affected residents. The Los Angeles Housing Department has implemented protections against excessive rent increases, prohibiting price gouging above 10% during the declared State of Emergency. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors established a Fire Recovery Fund, initially allocating $32.2 million to provide direct financial assistance to wildfire victims. Additionally, the county launched a centralized online hub to offer resources and information to Altadena residents affected by the Eaton Fire, ensuring accessible support during recovery.

Amid these challenges, opportunities have emerged to speed recovery and strengthen community resilience. Billionaire developer Rick Caruso has launched Steadfast LA, a nonprofit organization to accelerate rebuilding efforts and ensure government accountability. Numerous nonprofit organizations, including but not limited to the LAFD Foundation and the California Community Foundation, have raised tens of millions of dollars to support recovery efforts.

However, the aftermath of these fires needs to be examined more, and wildfire mitigation efforts must persist. The NFPA podcast featuring their wildfire division director, Michele Steinberg, discusses the entirety of the fires and steps to consider moving forward (https://nfpa.libsyn.com/the-la-wildfires).

At MySafe:LA, our Los Angeles division is making great strides, often teaming up with our Wildfire Resilience Alliance Partners, including the LAFD. We’re contacting more homeowners, forming more Fire Safe Councils, and establishing NFPA Firewise USA sites to keep our community safer. Additionally, we’re excited to support CalOES and CAL FIRE through engaging community efforts. We’re developing a FEMA-funded CWPP for Los Angeles as part of this journey. Plus, we’ve launched a brand new podcast called Rebuild:LA, and we’re exploring innovative partnerships focused on technology advancements for Zone 0 and wildfire mitigation. This is a big endeavor, and we’re truly excited to make 2025 a year of renewal and hope for the greater Los Angeles region! (https://www.wildfirela.org/podcasts/)

#LAFD #Palisades #Eaton #Sunset Fire #Hurst Fire #Los Angeles #RebuildLA Daniel Berlant Kristin Crowley Jaime Moore Phillip Fligiel J. Lopez Jacy Hyde, PhD Rick J. Caruso Miguel A. Santana Traci Park John Lee Eunisses Hernandez Office of Councilmember Nithya Raman Silvio Lanzas, CFO Eddie Sell Frank Bigelow Ben Allen Richard Fields IV, MA Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell Cameron Barrett