It has been 100 days since the devastating L.A. fires decimated communities from Altadena to Pacific Palisades.
At least 30 people died in the Eaton and Palisades fires, and more than 16,000 structures—mostly homes—were destroyed, making them among the top 10 deadliest and top three most destructive fires in California history.
Hundreds of lawsuits have been filed, millions of tons of debris are being removed, thousands of people remain displaced, and for many survivors, the pain of the fires is still fresh.
One hundred days later, there has been progress in the recovery—crews are months ahead of schedule—but there is still a long road ahead.
**Where Do We Stand on Debris Removal?**
The first phase of debris removal was managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, focusing on the removal of hazardous materials such as lithium batteries, paints, asbestos, and propane tanks.
The EPA completed Phase 1 in late February in both the Eaton and Palisades burn areas.
Phase 2 involves the removal of all remaining burned rubble and debris, as well as topsoil, and is led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, along with L.A. city and county.
The removal is ongoing, and progress has been significant.
According to the Army Corps, more than 13,500 properties across both burn scars need to be cleared.
As of now, more than 2,300 properties have been fully cleared, according to Brig. Gen. Bill Hannan with the Army Corps of Engineers.
Specifically, 1,224 properties have been cleared in the Eaton fire burn area, while 1,091 properties have been cleared in the Palisades area.
**Where Do We Stand on Rebuilding?**
So far, just one rebuild permit has been issued in Altadena, while Pacific Palisades has seen 19 permits issued, according to officials.
The L.A. Department of Building and Safety is responsible for the rebuild permitting process in the Palisades, while the L.A. County Department of Public Works oversees it for Altadena and other unincorporated areas affected by the Palisades fire.
In the Palisades, 181 rebuild permit applications have been received, as reported by Department of Building and Safety spokesperson Devin Myrick.
In alignment with a directive from Mayor Karen Bass, permitting reviews are now required to be completed in 30 days or less for “like-for-like” rebuilds.
Myrick noted that the Department of Building and Safety is currently completing reviews in about six days.
In Altadena, 38 rebuild applications have been submitted to L.A. County.
Out of these, 30 have been returned to applicants with requests for corrections, while the remaining eight are in the approval process, according to L.A. County Public Works Department spokesperson Kerjon Lee.
Earlier this month, L.A. County supervisors approved a motion brought forth by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey Horvath that is aimed at expediting the permitting process.
Lee added that three temporary housing permits have been issued, with 19 applications in progress in Altadena.
These permits enable residents to set up mobile homes or RVs on cleared properties.
Officials anticipate a spike in rebuild applications in the coming weeks.
**Insurance Numbers**
State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara disclosed on Thursday that around 38,000 insurance claims have been filed, with over 27,000 being partially paid out.
In total, this amounts to more than $12 billion paid out thus far.
The insurance department has established a tracker for L.A. County fire claims.
**What’s Next?**
A section of Pacific Coast Highway that has been closed due to the Palisades fire is expected to reopen by May.
In addition, officials are introducing a series of legislative measures to address the issues revealed by the L.A. fires, including the following:
SB 495, introduced by Sen. Ben Allen, aims to eliminate the requirement for homeowners to submit an itemized list of lost items when their home is completely destroyed, allowing them to receive full contents coverage.
Lara commented, “Survivors who have just endured the trauma of a wildfire should not be re-traumatized by having to complete a ridiculous list.”
SB 293, introduced by Sen. Sasha Renee Perez, seeks to help homeowners update their property records without penalty and mitigate the immediate tax burden resulting from property value reassessments.
AB 597, put forward by Assemblymember John Harabedian, is designed to prevent price gouging by public insurance adjusters following disasters.
Lastly, SB 547, introduced by Perez and Sen. Susan Rubio, would extend the prohibition against the cancellation or nonrenewal of insurance for one year for properties near or within disaster zones to include commercial properties like businesses and apartments.
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