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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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The Guiberson Fire, center, as seen from space Just one hour and one half into the Guiberson Fire on Tuesday, NASA's Terra satellite captured smoke billowing over the Santa Susana Mountains and into the Oxnard Plain toward the Pacific Ocean. Further west is Santa Cruz Island, the biggest Channel Island at the size of 96 square miles. The smoke cloud appears to be the same size. The fire has so-far consumed 16,400 acres and...
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1,000 more acres have been burned since earlier reports this morning as the Guiberson Fire rages on in Ventura County. As the 600 firefighters on scene upped containment to 20 percent, a number of schools were closed as a precaution as the fire neared Moorpark. Moorpark College, Campus Canyon School and Walnut Canyon School are all closed today, according to the Ventura County Star....
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The Guiberson Fire as seen from Fillmore | Photo by MorroBayChuck via Flickr The Guiberson Fire began around 10:30 a.m. this morning in Fillmore, north of Moorpark over the Santa Susana Mountains. Fueled by red flag weather and Santa Ana winds, the blaze quickly consumed at least 6,000 acres, prompting a number of evacuations and around 400 firefighters to respond, two of which that have suffered injuries. So far, it is zero percent contained....
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Earlier today, Norco officials were optimistic that the La Sierra Fire would be out by now. However, the fire is currently 50 percent contained and has burned through some 175 acres, according to numerous media reports. It began in Norco near the city of Riverside. "What we didn't see before were the driving winds," explained Bill Peters of CalFire to ABC7. "The driving winds are really what create the catoshpric fires in Southern California."...
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Camp crew firefighters climb a ridge during the Station Fire (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill) The Station Fire began four weeks ago today on August 26th. Back then, the already-burning Morris Fire was dominating concern from authorities, but then the Station Fire took a turn for the worst, eventually burning through 250 square miles of the Angeles National Forest and becoming the biggest fire in Los Angeles County history (and in the top ten for...
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A fire burning in Redlands within San Bernardino County has scorched at least 5 acres, according to Carl Baker with Redlands Fire Department, who spoke to KNX1070. As of 2:45 p.m., no structures had burned, but some were threatened. Evacuations have been ordered along Sunset, west of Helen in addition to homes on Edgemont and Fairmont. More evacuations had been ordered, but Baker was unaware of specifics at the time of the interview. "If...
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Speaking to KNX1070, Norco Fire Chief Jack Fry said that the blaze should be contained "within the hour." The fire began during the lunchtime hour and has burned an estimated 120 to 150 acres in Norco and at the edge of Riverside, he said....
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Fire-friendly weather has pushed back containment of the nearly month-old Station Fire to Thursday, according to Forest Service authorities today. The blaze, which has burned through some 250 square miles, is still 94 percent contained. Aerial operations will continue in an effort to knockdown remaining interior hotspots and to reduce the risk of embers igniting additional fuels during today's hot, dry and windy weather. "These hotspots are located in steep and rugged terrain, which is inaccessible by ground crews," explained an Angeles National Forest fire operations summary.
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As the Guiberson Fire burns, already some 300 acres, in Ventura County, another fire has prompted evacuations in the Riverside County city of Norco. Mandatory evacuations are underway in the area of Vandermolen Drive and Valley Drive, according to ABC7. The blaze, located at the border of the city of Riverside, where firefighters are trying to contain it on a hill near homes, is moving in a northward direction deeper into Norco and into...
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As a quick-moving wildfire burns in the Santa Clara River Valley, no official evacuation order has been given to Moorpark residents as of 12:23 p.m. However, Fred Ponce of Ventura County Fire told KTLA newscasters that those living along the 118 freeway in Moorpark, they should be prepared for the possibility of leaving. "If you're in doubt, get out," he said. "Don't wait for an actual evacuation order." Ranches in the Happy Camp Canyon...
