100 days after the LA fires, where do we stand?

It’s 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 — burned, 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.

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One hundred days later, there has been progress in the recovery — crews are months ahead of schedule — but mostly there’s been confirmation that there is still a very long road ahead.

Where do we stand on debris removal? 

The first phase of debris removal was handled by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and involved removing hazardous materials, such as lithium batteries, paints, asbestos, propane tanks and more.

The EPA completed Phase 1 in late February in both the Eaton and Palisades burn areas.

Phase 2 — removing all the rest of the burned rubble and debris, plus topsoil — is led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and L.A. city and county. The removal is ongoing. Here’s the progress so far:

• The Army Corps estimates that more than 13,500 properties across both burn scars need to be cleared.
• More than 2,300 properties have been fully cleared, according to Brig. Gen. Bill Hannan with the Army Corps of Engineers.
  
  • 1,224 properties have been cleared in the Eaton fire burn area.
  • 1,091 properties have been cleared in the Palisades burn area.

(Find a tracker of debris removal progress from the Army Corps here.)

Where do we stand on rebuild?

So far, just one rebuild permit has been issued in Altadena. In Pacific Palisades, 19 permits have been issued, officials told LAist.

The L.A. Department of Building and Safety (along with other departments) is leading the rebuild permitting process in the Palisades, while L.A. County Department of Public Works (along with other departments) is heading the rebuild permitting process for Altadena and unincorporated areas burned by the Palisades fire.

In the Palisades, 181 rebuild permit applications have been received, said Department of Building and Safety spokesperson Devin Myrick.

Per a directive from Mayor Karen Bass, permitting review is now required to be completed in 30 days or less for “like-for-like” rebuilds. Myrick said the Department of Building and Safety is currently completing the review in about six days.

In Altadena, of the 38 rebuild applications submitted to L.A. County, 30 have been returned to the applicants with a request for corrections, and the remaining eight are in the approval process, said L.A. County Public Works Department spokesperson Kerjon Lee.

Earlier this month, L.A. County supervisors approved a motion brought by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey Horvath that aims to expedite permitting.

Lee told LAist that three temporary housing permits have been issued, with 19 requests in progress in Altadena. These permits allow residents to set up a mobile home or RV on their cleared property.

Officials expect to see a spike in rebuild applications in coming weeks.

Insurance numbers

State Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara said at a news conference Thursday that some 38,000 insurance claims have been filed, with more than 27,000 being partially paid. That adds up to more than $12 billion paid out so far.

The insurance department has set up a tracker for L.A. County fire claims here.

What’s next?

The stretch of Pacific Coast Highway that’s been closed due to the Palisades fire is expected to reopen by May.

Officials are also introducing a slew of legislation to help address some of the issues the L.A. fires revealed, including:

• SB 495 (introduced by Sen. Ben Allen) would eliminate the requirement to provide an itemized list of lost items if a home was completely lost, allowing homeowners to receive their contents coverage in full. “ Survivors who have just endured the trauma of a wildfire should not be re-traumatized by having to complete a ridiculous list,” Lara said Thursday. 

• SB 293 (introduced by Sen. Sasha Renee Perez) would help homeowners  bring their property records up to date without penalty and reduce the immediate tax burden associated with property value reassessments.

• AB 597 (introduced by Assemblymember John Harabedian) aims to prevent price gouging by public insurance adjusters, particularly in the aftermath of disasters.

• SB 547 (introduced by Perez and Sen. Susan Rubio) would extend the prohibition against cancellation or nonrenewal of insurance for one year for properties near or within disaster zones to commercial properties, such as businesses and apartments. 

Read more about other proposed legislative fixes here.