L.A.’s Recovery Effort on Track to Be Fastest in California History; Construction Underway Throughout Pacific Palisades
LOS ANGELES – Six months since the start of one of the most unprecedented natural disasters in state history, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass today highlighted progress in the City’s disaster recovery effort, along with priorities for continued local and state collaboration as rebuilding continues.
“Six months ago, L.A. experienced one of the most unprecedented natural disasters in U.S. history. But this community – from Pacific Palisades to Malibu to Altadena – is resilient. We are L.A. strong,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “I want to thank Governor Newsom, Supervisor Barger, and all of our federal, state, County, non-profit and philanthropic partners for their collaboration as we continue to lead the fastest recovery in state history and create clear and supportive pathways for homeowners to rebuild.”
“Local, state, and federal governments are delivering the fastest wildfire cleanup in U.S. history. Nearly 10,000 homes cleared — months ahead of schedule — because recovery can’t wait. Now we turn the page to rebuilding, and we’re doing it with a clear plan, strong partnerships, and the urgency this moment demands,” said Governor Gavin Newsom.
“As we mark six months since these devastating fires, we recognize the historic actions taken to clear debris from thousands of properties in record time,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor and Board Chair Kathryn Barger. “But this is only the beginning. We must move into the next phase—rebuilding—with the same determination and urgency. Backed by the State of California and other critical partners, our LA County Forward Blueprint will drive a swift, resilient recovery and ensure our communities emerge stronger than ever.”
The City is committed to helping the Palisades rebuild even stronger than before by streamlining permitting, cutting unnecessary red tape, and encouraging smart, innovative approaches to rebuilding. At the same time, the City will work to preserve and enhance the character and essential community elements that define Pacific Palisades.
In coordination with the County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 3,450+ residential properties – nearly 80% – in the City of L.A. that were destroyed by the Palisades Fire have been cleared of debris and have received final sign off, a required step in the rebuilding process. The debris removal process began just 35 days after the wildfires ignited, roughly half the time it took after the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire.
To date, more than 650 plan check applications for 440+ unique addresses have been submitted to the L.A. Department of Building and Safety (LADBS). 220+ plans have been approved and 165+ permits have been issued. The first permit was issued 57 days after the start of the wildfires, more than twice as fast as permits were issued after the devastating Camp and Woolsey Fires.
City of L.A. Recovery by the Numbers
- 3,450+ (nearly 80%) properties cleared of debris
- More than 1 million tons of debris removed
- 650+ plan check applications for 440+ addresses submitted
- 220+ plans approved
- 165+ permits issued — first permit issued 57 days after start of wildfires
- All 3 schools in L.A. partially destroyed cleared of debris, ahead of schedule
- 2 months to restore water and power for standing homes
- 3,500+ served at One-Stop Rebuilding Center
- 4 Impacted Worker and Family Recovery Centers opened
- 28 days to clear properties of hazardous materials
- 300 tons of hazardous materials, such as exploded lithium ion batteries, removed
- 13,500 feet of concrete barriers and 7,500 sandbags installed to reinforce burn areas during wet weather
Priorities for Continued Rebuilding
The progress made to date is due in large part to close coordination between all levels of government. With debris removal months ahead of expectations and homes under construction throughout Pacific Palisades, below are priorities for continued City, County, and State coordination.
- Making rebuilding feasible and affordable: In a united effort, the City, County, and State will work together to identify ways to close the gap between what people can afford and the cost to rebuild and to address financing and cash flow gaps driven by insurance payment delays or depressed revenue. The City continues to work with private sector and philanthropic partners to create innovative solutions to tackle this unique challenge.
- Accelerating permitting: Less than a week after the start of the Palisades Fire, Mayor Bass issued Executive Order 1 (EO1) to cut red tape and streamline the rebuilding process. EO1 established the One-Stop Rebuilding Center, waived CEQA and discretionary processes, simplified the haul route and demo permit processes, directed City departments to expedite building permit reviews in 30 days or less, and more. Additional actions include:
- Providing tax relief for businesses: Following action to postpone the 2024 City business tax payment deadline for businesses affected by the wildfires, Mayor Bass issued Executive Order 3 waiving 2025 business taxes for impacted firms.
- Resilient rebuilding: On March 21, Mayor Bass issued Emergency Executive Order 5 to help Palisades residents expedite the rebuilding of their homes and businesses in ways that better protect against wildfires and other climate-fueled disasters. At the Mayor’s direction, City departments are developing paths forward to promote the use of fire-resistant construction materials to harden homes and businesses, further strengthen the resiliency of utilities to ensure power reliability during severe weather events, and more.
- Launched first professional Self-Certification Pilot Program: Last month, the City launched its first-ever Self-Certification Pilot Program, a new initiative to fast-track the reconstruction of homes destroyed in the Palisades Fire. Under the program, California-licensed architects may assume responsibility for verifying code compliance – without a full LADBS plan check. In late April, Mayor Bass issued Emergency Executive Order 6 to establish this pilot program to reduce time spent on the permitting process.
- Leveraging AI technology to speed up permitting process: At the end of April, Mayor Bass issued Executive Directive 10 directing the L.A. Department of Building and Safety to report back on the feasibility of implementing an AI tool for pre-plan check submitted reviews. Soon after, the City announced a partnership with the State, County, and others to launch the pilot program using Archistar to further support homeowners.
- Suspending the collection of rebuilding fees: Mayor Bass issued Emergency Executive Order 7 directing City departments to suspend the collection of permit and plan check fees associated with the repair or reconstruction of homes damaged or destroyed by the January wildfires, pending City Council’s adoption of an amendment to waive these fees.
- Accessible building plans and expedited inspections: LADBS has established a repository of as-built plans (blueprints) for single-family dwellings, duplexes, apartments, and most commercial buildings permitted and built after 1977 to make it easier for homeowners to rebuild. After a permit has been issued, LADBS is conducting inspections related to Palisades reconstruction projects within two business days of the submitted request.
- Collaborating with the building community to make construction more cost-efficient: The City, County, and State are working with private and philanthropic partners to explore solutions that allow for quick, cost-efficient, and safe rebuilding to get Angelenos back into their homes as quickly as possible. These solutions aim to ensure a steady supply of builders and contractors who will secure materials at scale to ensure a predictable supply chain (e.g., bulk purchasing) for long-term rebuilding.
- Infrastructure planning to support widespread rebuilding:
- Mayor Bass announced that the global infrastructure firm AECOM had been selected to help develop and support:
- An infrastructure reconstruction plan for the phased deployment of all utilities above and below ground, in tandem with widespread commercial and residential construction.
- A logistics plan for materials management in coordination with local builders and suppliers.
- A master traffic plan to manage an increased number of builders, trucks, construction materials, and other activity as more and more property owners begin the rebuilding process.
- Additionally, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has started work to underground as much of its power system as possible, starting with building a new 34.5kv circuit on Sunset Blvd., which will serve as the ‘backbone’ for LADWP’s plans to underground residential circuits where feasible. This will enable LADWP to expand Distribution Station 29 (DS-29) and introduce a new 12kv mainline system to serve the Palisades. These upgrades will increase the resiliency and reliability of the power system in the Palisades.
- The City Administrative Officer (CAO) has identified all damage-related and infrastructure rebuilding costs due to the wildfires, along with major projects to reduce future risk and strengthen resilience citywide. The CAO is working closely with the State and FEMA to expedite these efforts, including the pursuit of more than $360 million in reimbursements and approximately $3 billion in long-term hazard mitigation funding.
- Mayor Bass announced that the global infrastructure firm AECOM had been selected to help develop and support:
- Coordinating construction workforce logistics: The City, County, and State will work together to coordinate construction workforce logistics, including managing ingress and egress, right-of-way, and procurement.
- Rebuilding key community spaces:
- Mayor Bass pushed for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to prioritize debris removal at key community spaces in the Army Corps Private Property Debris Removal Program. Debris has been cleared from community landmarks including the Palisades Rec Center, the Palisades Playground, and Palisades Library.
- In early April, Mayor Bass and LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced that the Army Corps had cleared debris from the three schools in Los Angeles that were partially destroyed by the Palisades Fire – Palisades Charter High School, Palisades Charter Elementary, and Marquez Charter Elementary.
- Mayor Bass, LA Strong Sports, Steadfast LA, and key Palisades groups announced the creation of a public-private partnership that will fund, redesign and rebuild the Palisades Recreation Center, which was partially destroyed and severely damaged during January’s wildfires. The City also secured private funding to replace the Pacific Palisades Playground, which is on track to be reopened later this month.
While commercial properties are not included as part of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Private Property Debris Removal Program, the City worked with Cal OES to apply for special inclusion of certain commercial sites. To date, multi-family units including Tahitian Terrace and Malibu Village, eight private schools, the Presbyterian Church parking lot, Theatre Palisades, 12 City-owned parcels, and 10 additional commercial parcels have been approved.