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LA's wildfires: Your recovery guide
Your game plan for what happens next. LAist will be there every step of the way.
The Palisades and Eaton fires leveled whole neighborhoods and killed 31 people.
LAist reported 24/7 on the initial days of devastation. Our immediate job was clear: Make listeners aware of the urgency of the disaster, get them the resources they needed to stay safe, dispel rumors and misinformation that spread via social media and connect people to each other at a time of great distress.
Once the fire danger was over, LAist committed to helping fire victims navigate the complicated systems needed to recover — answering questions about insurance, renting, politics and gaps in the emergency response.
| Palisades Fire | Eaton Fire | |
| Acreage | 23,448 acres | 14,021 |
| Containment | 100% | 100% |
| Structures damaged or destroyed | 6,837 destroyed, 973 damaged | 9,414 destroyed, 1,074 damaged |
| Dead | 12 | 19 |
What's next for housing
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Residents now have until April 15 to sign up for the government's free debris removal program. The program now includes condos, not just single-family homes. -
The Zone Zero regulations on defensible space would apply to trees, potted plants, fences and other items that can catch embers and ignite. -
The new guidance contradicts earlier statements from a city official who said tenants were on the hook for post-fire decontamination inside their own units. -
With building contractors in hot demand, the state licensing board is offering tips on how to find a reputable contractor. -
California is one of the few states with building codes for wildfire protection because using fire-resistant materials helps homes survive. -
The first properties in the Palisades Fire burn area, where multi-million dollar homes once stood, are being put on the market.
What to know about insurance
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As FEMA extends deadline to sign up for free debris removal, we explain different steps of the process. -
We've got tips for navigating insurance claims in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades fires … without losing your mind.Listen 0:51 -
Most residents of middle-class Altadena could get fire insurance, but that is likely to change as residents rebuild and face price hikes. -
Here are some common mistakes or misconceptions you may run into. -
We have tips from California's insurance commissioner on how to contact the state and start the claims process, and how to keep you and your loved ones from falling for scams. -
The current fires are on track to become one of the most costly disasters in California history. That could threaten the stability of California's insurance market and make housing costs go up even more.
Do you have a question about the wildfires or fire recovery?
Check out LAist.com/FireFAQs to see if your question has already been answered. If not, submit your questions here, and we’ll do our best to get you an answer.
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Key resources
If you have a question about the firestorm, let the LAist newsroom know.
Stay informed: Fact checks
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Let us help you separate fact from fiction. -
After thousands of homes were destroyed, many are looking for ways to make Los Angeles safer from wildfires.Listen 3:40 -
Air quality experts and advocates warn of the potential dangers of smoke, ash and soot.
Don't miss our award-winning podcast
The Big Burn: How To Survive the Age of Wildfires
As the world enters a new age of wildfires, science reporter Jacob Margolis dives deep into personal stories that illuminate the history of how we got here, why we keep screwing things up, and what we can do to survive and maybe even thrive while the world around us burns.
Listen
43:19
LAist Science Reporter Jacob Margolis looks at what Angelenos affected by the LA wildfires can expect as they try to rebuild their lives. In this hour, Margolis turns to experts about what to know about housing options, recouping losses, and making homes and neighborhoods more fire resistant. And he also gets insights from a 2017 Tubbs Fire wildfire survivor about the recovery and healing process after losing everything.
Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!
Guests:
David Wagner, LAist Housing Reporter
Alex Robertson, lawyer with Robertson & Associates, LLP
David Shew, former Cal Fire chief, Napa County Fire Administrator
Stephanie Pincetl, Professor at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and Director of the California Center for Sustainable Communities
Melissa Geissinger, a survivor of the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa. https://melissageissinger.com/
Visit www.preppi.com/LAist to receive a FREE Preppi Emergency Kit (with any purchase over $100) and be prepared for the next wildfire, earthquake or emergency!
Guests:
David Wagner, LAist Housing Reporter
Alex Robertson, lawyer with Robertson & Associates, LLP
David Shew, former Cal Fire chief, Napa County Fire Administrator
Stephanie Pincetl, Professor at UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability and Director of the California Center for Sustainable Communities
Melissa Geissinger, a survivor of the 2017 Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa. https://melissageissinger.com/
LA Wildfires Special Coverage with Jacob Margolis: What to expect when recovering fire losses and rebuilding
Latest news
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A late-night explosion rocked the lobby of a 15-story building on WIlshire at Bixel, igniting a small blaze, according to KTLA. LAFD officials believe the 2:14 a.m. "blast may have been related to record-breaking electricity use during Monday's extreme heat wave." The explosion originated from within an electrical vault located on the first floor of the Samaritan Medical Tower. The blast blew out the front door; most of the surveyed damage seems to be...
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More than 75 firefighters are fighting a 2 or so-acre blaze in Thousand Oaks this hot, hot, hot afternoon. First reported around 2:12 p.m., the fire is burning light to medium brush on a hillside across the 101 Freeway from the Performing Arts Center and city hall, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. Two helicopters and dozers have been deployed. Updated: Acreage has been upped to fifteen acres....
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A beachfront home in Malibu rented by actress and former talk show host Ricki Lake and her family suffered extensive damage by an early morning fire that also led to PCH being shut down, according to KTLA. Lake and her two sons were able to escape before 30-foot-high flames shot up into the air and jeopardized neighboring homes. Sheriff's deputies say "Lake was trying to refuel a portable heater when a couch caught fire."...
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A fire is burning in the Porter Ranch area this afternoon, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. At 1:50 p.m. a half-acre brush fire north of the 19100 block of Sesnon Boulevard prompted officials to call for additional firefighters. By 2 p.m., the northwest-moving blaze had consumed to two to three acres of "light brush," said LAFD Spokesperson Erik Scott. The area burned two years ago in the a large 14,000 acre fire...
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Last week it was an Orange County golfer who sparked a fire last week when he swung, hitting a rock and sparking a 25-acre blaze. And yesterday it was a bobcat that ignited a five acre fire in the small town of Piru, east of Santa Clarita. “It looked like he was climbing up a pole to chase an owl or another bird,” Capt. Dan Preston told the Ventura County Star. "The animal apparently...
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A small brush fire burned at least one quarter-acre in Hollywood tonight, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. Spokesperson Brian Humprhey said the blaze that was reported at 9:11 p.m. ran uphill near 1836 N. Courtney Terrace, just north of Hollywood Boulevard and abut Nichols Canyon Road. 62 firefighters and three helicopters were assigned to the blaze, but the air attack was later canceled. Humphrey said brush clearance by the homeowner was "offering...
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A brush fire threatened homes last weekend in the SCV (Photo by Eric B. Shanks via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr) Even with our summer of cool temperatures there have still been a number of brush fires sparking up all over Southern California. Today, however, with the arrival of a surge in hot weather, officials are reminding us of the imminent threat of fire, according to LA Now. "On Sunday and Monday...
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A small fire that broke out this afternoon at the Los Feliz 3 Theatre was knocked down within ten minutes, according to e-mail reports issued by the Los Angeles Fire Department. Smoke was visible from the fire, however 30 firefighters were able to get the blaze out quickly. The Art Deco theatre at 1822 N. Vermont [map] first opened in 1934, when it seated 780; it was converted to a triplex in the 1990s....
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A one- to two-acre brush fire in Griffith Park is burning uphill near the 5 and 134 freeways, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. No structures are threatened or immediate evacuations have been called for. In a live TV interview, Captain Steve Ruda told KABC-7 that, from what he could see on TV, there appeared to be no winds (good news) and that firefighters "drill in that area all the time." The blaze...
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A brush fire that has already grown to at least 10 acres is burning in Santa Clarita, according to cbs2.com. "The blaze was burning on Copper Hill and Haskell Canyon," say officials, and some structures are reportedly threatened. Crews are currently on scene "creating a perimeter for structure protection." No information has been made available as of yet regarding evacuations, if necessary, or the cause of the fire. *UPDATE 4:30 PM: The fire has...
