Fire-ravaged Los Angeles confronts difficult questions as it rushes to rebuild
As a charred Los Angeles resurfaces from the infernal flames that engulfed the region last month, questions loom as to how residents will rebuild — and whether they should remake their neighborhoods as they were, or take the chance to make the city less vulnerable to the fires of the future.
With an estimated 17,000 structures burned in Eaton and Palisades fires — and ensuing economic losses estimated at more than $250 billion — reconstruction efforts will face monumental challenges from every angle: planning, permitting, supply chains, workforce and insurance.
State and local officials have been trying to unload some of the burden and streamline the process by minimizing bureaucracy where possible.
But experts remain skeptical as to just how quickly that construction should — or even could — occur, amid massive debris pileups and in neighborhoods that have become increasingly vulnerable to future wildfires.
“The ‘like for like’ policy is driven by the emotional needs of homeowners and the political needs of those who have devised the policy,” Char Miller, director of environmental analysis at Pomona College, told The Hill.
Although Miller acknowledged the psychology behind such an approach, he cautioned that allowing those who have the financial resources to rebuild in the same way as they previously have could lead to similar wildfire events in the years to come.
“That strikes me as a really bad policy, since governments are supposed to be stewarding, managing, securing the people's health and welfare,” Miller said. “This seems to be a policy that does the exact reverse of that."
Clearing the rubble, and the red tape
Officials are working to remove both physical and regulatory obstacles so the process of rebuilding can start — quickly.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) office announced last week that state, local and federal partners began structural debris removal efforts — building on the Environmental Protection Agency's ongoing work to eliminate household hazardous waste.
Both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began private property debris removal on Tuesday in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, the areas affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires, respectively.
To help expedite the process, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works, together with the six relevant local jurisdictions, collected right-of-entry forms from residents, developed haul routes and coordinated the transport of ash and debris, the governor's office stated.
Also last week, Newsom on Thursday issued his latest in a series of executive orders aimed at cutting red tape and streamlining community recovery — doubling down on provisions to suspend permitting requirements and extending relevant deadlines.
This directive built upon previous such orders, including one signed earlier this month that focused on providing regulatory relief. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D), meanwhile, in mid-January began issuing local executive directives aimed at streamlining permitting, bypassing certain reviews and enabling “like-for-like” construction.
"Like-for-like" replacement structures, according to Los Angeles County rules, are those that are "the same size, in the same location and for the same land use as the legally established damaged or destroyed structure.” Modifications can occur if they do not increase the building footprint, area, size or height by more than 10 percent, per the rules.
In addition to issuing a directive that included the “like-for-like” provision, Bass last week also launched the city's new "One-Step Rebuilding Center," in which 10 municipal departments will be present in one space dedicated to helping Pacific Palisades residents rebuild their properties faster.
“My priority and promise is to help people rebuild their homes and businesses as quickly and safely as possible," Bass said in a statement.
While recognizing the efforts to reduce red tape, Collin Callahan, a strategist from the libertarian-leaning Pacific Legal Foundation, warned in a statement that residents could still "face headwinds with a plethora of bureaucratic agencies that oversee use and development of private property."
Among Newsom's recent executive actions was an order to suspend California Coastal Commission rules that could have interfered with permitting and rebuilding. But Callahan expressed concern that agency appeals could lead to "arbitrary and unlawful permit denials."
Another potential wrinkle in the rebuilding process is the fact that there are multiple rebuilding committees vying for control over the planning efforts.
Bass appointed Steve Soboroff as Los Angeles’s official chief recovery officer in mid-January, after which Newsom announced the LA Rises initiative to unite "private sector leaders to support rebuilding efforts.” On a federal level, President Trump later declared — during a visit to the region — that he intended to “open the coffers” in support of the rebuilding.
Other players include billionaire developer Rick Caruso, Bass’s 2022 mayoral opponent, whose “civic nonprofit” Steadfast LA is “dedicated to rebuilding Los Angeles.” Meanwhile, Los Angeles Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong launched the Leadership Council to Rebuild L.A., to identify how business “leaders can contribute their skills, resources and experience to rebuild Los Angeles.”
Regardless of how, precisely, the rebuilding unfolds and who is at the helm of those efforts, two researchers described what they felt would be “a herculean task” involving both human and financial struggles, according to an analysis published in the City Journal policy magazine.
Although the structures may have crumbled, the land on which the homes formerly stood retains value, wrote Matthew Kahn, an economics professor at the University of Southern California, and Joseph Tracy, a senior fellow at Purdue University’s Daniels School of Business.
“In an era of ‘superstar’ earners, the very rich will seek to purchase adjacent lots and build new mansions," the researchers warned. "If market forces are allowed to operate, then an even richer Pacific Palisades is likely to emerge."
The authors forecasted a postfire "construction boom" that would involve "an immense amount of planning, materials and labor" but that could vary in duration, based on permitting, supply chains, federal funding and workforce capacity. The latter two factors, the researchers noted, could also hinge upon Trump’s approaches to immigration and disaster expenditures.
The authors opposed the enactment of stricter building codes, as such uniform rules do not fit areas that vary in risk level — and even when the codes evolve, existing buildings remain the same.
'A chance to start over'
The researchers of the analysis offered some optimism for the rebuilding process ahead, identifying "a chance to start over."
For example, they explained, normally cost-prohibitive and disruptive power-line burials could occur more smoothly during a complete rebuild, across entire neighborhoods. The use of manufactured homes could also speed up reconstruction, while remote work permissions would reduce the commuting burden for displaced residents, the authors added.
Another approach the researchers suggested was the adoption of housing partnerships, in which homeowners bring in an equity partner: ideally, an investor who could participate in equity sharing for entire neighborhoods under reconstruction.
"The opportunity to rebuild the devastated areas offers an opportunity for a more resilient Los Angeles to emerge,” the authors concluded.
For Miller, from Pomona College, an ideal postfire situation would involve rebuilding efforts that expand upward rather than out, as well as public offers to purchase and transform vulnerable properties into recreational spaces.
Recognizing the enormous amounts of money that people will need to spend to return to their homes, Miller noted that "some of them may not wish to.” This is where state, county, city and other jurisdiction officials could propose to buy land from willing sellers, he explained.
"That could build buffers in various places and also open up some of the pretty dense housing," Miller said.
Another important consideration amid rebuilding efforts, he continued, will be the architectural and design work that goes into recreating the lost homes.
"If climate change is being driven by our capacity to spew emissions up into the air from a carbon-driven, fossil fuel-driven economy, then why are we going to rebuild with the exact same carbon intensive materials?" Miller asked.
"If we're going to build back, then shouldn't we be building back in a way that mitigates, lessens the problems of fire?" he suggested.
Daniel Orenstein, an urban fire expert and Los Angeles native, echoed these sentiments, identifying Southern California's "longstanding issue of building homes in fire-prone areas, often far from urban centers."
"Every new development in these regions increases the difficulty of firefighting and puts more people and property at risk, even with buffer zones and fire-resistant materials," Orenstein, now an associate professor at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, said in an emailed statement.
Orenstein emphasized the need to minimize urban sprawl in fire-prone areas, while also addressing the long-term challenges posed by climate change.
"California has always had fires, but drought, heat, and wind — exacerbated by climate change — are making them more frequent and destructive,” Orenstein added.
As for the willingness of residents to build up rather than out, Miller said he believes that as Los Angeles improves its growing mass transit system, taller structures adjacent to light and heavy rail stations will become increasingly popular.
This "transit-oriented development," he said, is already happening as capitalism responds to certain market impulses.
Miller recognized that at both the political and consumer level, residents want the reconstruction process to occur “on fast-forward.” But that inclination, he concluded, has now “already run into the reality that these landscapes are so toxic, that to reclaim them is going to take years."
-
Who gets to rebuild? Los Angeles fires expose the weakness of U.S. home insurance.
Americans are being forced to reckon with the ‘new normal’ of climate change. Now what?MarketWatch - Feb. 8 -
Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso on rebuilding after wildfires
As Los Angeles grapples with the devastation of January's wildfires, the city is already working to rebuild. At least 29 people were killed and more than 16,000 structures were destroyed in what ...CBS News - 1d -
Flash floods threaten mudslides after Los Angeles fires
An atmospheric river is bearing down on California, bringing with it heavy rains, evacuation orders and flash flood warnings. It's building up to another severe weather setback for an area still ...CBS News - 6d -
The Pokemon Company And Niantic Pledge $1 Million For Los Angeles Fire Relief
Earlier this year, Los Angeles and surrounding areas were ravaged by devastating wildfires. At the time, Pokemon Go developer Niantic assured fans that its Pokemon Go Unova Tour - Los Angeles ...GameSpot - 5d -
Los Angeles Rams 2025 NFL offseason preview: Some big questions (Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford?) after a division title
At least one franchise legends is on his way out. What other changes could be in store for L.A.?Yahoo Sports - Feb. 12 -
Examining the aftermath of the Los Angeles area wildfires
The firestorm that swept through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods of Los Angeles County a month ago leveled more than 16,000 structures. The complex cleanup and recovery process is ...CBS News - Feb. 9 -
The Los Angeles wildfires are finally contained, but Californians still aren’t safe
The smoke may be temporary, but toxic air pollution is an ever-present danger with effects that linger for generations.The Hill - Feb. 8 -
Record rainfall failed to replenish Los Angeles groundwater supply in 2023: Study
The Los Angeles area's groundwater remained depleted even after a series of historic atmospheric rivers struck the region in 2023, a study has found. Record rainfall filled both shallow basins and ...The Hill - 6d -
Los Angeles’ art world steps into a dangerous new age of climate risk
Amid the devastation of the LA wildfires, cultural institutions are assessing a near future of increasingly extreme conditionsFinancial Times - 6d
More from The Hill
-
Rep. Don Bacon says Trump 'wrong' to call Zelensky a dictator
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said President Trump was “wrong” to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator on Wednesday and for appearing to be “standing on the side” of Russian President ...The Hill - 2h -
Trump says federal government should 'take over' DC
President Trump on Wednesday said the federal government should "take over the governance" of Washington, D.C. "I think that we should govern the District of Columbia," Trump told reporters aboard ...The Hill - 3h -
Trump signs order targeting any federal benefits going to those in the country illegally
President Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order intended to identify and eliminate any federal financial benefits going to immigrants who entered the country illegally, something already ...The Hill - 4h -
Appeals court won’t immediately revive Trump’s birthright citizenship order
A federal appeals court Wednesday evening declined the Trump administration’s request to partially revive the president’s executive order restricting birthright citizenship. The Justice Department ...The Hill - 4h -
Senate GOP dismayed by Trump, Zelensky war of words
{beacon} Welcome to The Hill's Defense & NatSec newsletter {beacon} Defense &National Security Defense &National Security The Big Story Senate GOP dismayed by Trump, Zelensky war of words Public ...The Hill - 4h
More in Politics
-
Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker warns against authoritarianism in address
In his State of the State address, Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Ill., warned against authoritarianism, saying “it took the Nazis one month, three weeks, two days, eight hours, and 40 minutes to dismantle a ...NBC News - 1h -
Trump administration pulls approval for NYC's congestion pricing program
The Trump administration said it is pulling the plug on New York City's controversial congestion pricing plan, just weeks after it started, but Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA are fighting to keep it ...CBS News - 2h -
Rep. Don Bacon says Trump 'wrong' to call Zelensky a dictator
Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.) said President Trump was “wrong” to call Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a dictator on Wednesday and for appearing to be “standing on the side” of Russian President ...The Hill - 2h -
Ex-NFL punter Chris Kluwe arrested over city council protest
Former NFL punter Chris Kluwe spoke out at a city council meeting in Huntington Beach, California, over a plan to display a library plaque with a MAGA acronym and criticized the MAGA movement. He ...NBC News - 3h -
Trump says federal government should 'take over' DC
President Trump on Wednesday said the federal government should "take over the governance" of Washington, D.C. "I think that we should govern the District of Columbia," Trump told reporters aboard ...The Hill - 3h