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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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Los Angeles just got a new fire chief and Long Beach is about to lose theirs. Fire Chief David Ellis announced yesterday, after five years at the top post, his intent to retire by the end of the year. Ellis began his career in Glendale in 1980, but two years later found himself working for Long Beach, where he was raised and schooled as a kid and college student. The Department has about 550...
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Photo by Rennett Stowe via Flickr Considering yesterday's amazing progress on the Sheep Fire (a 32 to 75 percent containment jump), it's no surprise that firefighters made no progress over night on the blaze, which still stands at 7,128 acres in size. As noted yesterday afternoon, it's been cold enough in the area of the fire that local ski resorts have been able to produce snow. The LA Times takes a look a the...
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Photo by AMagill/Flickr A fire last night in a Riverside home proved to be a unique challenge for firefighters because the house was "packed to the ceiling with items," according to cbs2. The fire was sparked by "an electrical problem" and was troubling for the responding crew since "the kitchen and back porch area [...] were stuffed with clutter and there was no way to get inside" and, further, "there was concern that embers...
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A woman's charred body was found shortly after midnight after firefighters doused a dumpster fire in Santa Fe Springs near the 5 freeway. Her hands and feet appeared to be bound by some kind of electrical cord, reports the LA Times. The fire was located behind a furniture store business on the 13100 block of Firestone Boulevard. The coroner's office will work to identify her, but her approximate age could not be determined by...
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See some smoke in the hills? A fire 40-foot by 40-foot grass fire was knocked down by Los Angeles Fire Fighters in 18 minutes this afternoon. The fire, first reported at 1:59 p.m., was located at 9785 Trudy Drive, south of Mulholland Drive between Beverly Glen and Coldwater Canyon....
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A fire that broke out near Vandenburg Air Force Base has burned through some 300 acres and was 50 percent contained this evening, according to the Associated Press. The Lompoc-area base, about 60 miles northwest of Santa Barbara, employs up to 10,000 people on any given day. 25 buildings with non-essential personnel were sent home early. The blaze began around noon when a transformer blew near the base's main gate along the Pacific Coast...
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Dry brush = a fire's fuel | Photo by Caveman 92223 via Flickr Yesterday it was a fire weather watch, but today the National Weather Service upgraded those warnings into Red Flags. Temperatures will not be as warm as last week, but high winds and low humidity are concerning officials over potential for wildfires. "The Santa Ynez range and downwind coastal sections of Santa Barbara County will be the first to experience the dry...
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Photo by Caveman 92223 via Flickr The temperatures have been great so far this week, but they might be slightly spoiled as Santa Ana winds pick up beginning Wednesday night and last through Friday. "Humidities will be dropping through the day Wednesday and by Wednesday night into Thursday many areas of Southwest California will be experiencing a combination of gusty Santa Ana winds and humidities at or below 15 percent," the National Weather Service...
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Fully contained yesterday, the Guiberson Fire burned through some 17,500 acres, injuring 10, destroying one outbuilding and costing nearly $10 million. On Sunday, the Advanced Land Imager on NASA’s Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite caught this false-color image of the fire area by using "shortwave infrared light to increase the contrast between burned and unburned land."
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The National Weather Service last night extended the Red Flag warning, due to expire last night, to Saturday evening for mountain areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. However, fire-weather related warnings for Valleys in both counties did expire last night. "While the offshore winds have weakened, the triple digit heat and single digit humidities continues across the valleys and mountains of Los Angeles and Ventura counties," a National Weather Service advisory said. Temperatures...
