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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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As a fast moving fire moves through Rancho Palos Verdes, already burning at least two homes, Palos Verdes Peninsula High School has been set as the evacuation center, according to Vanessa Bezic, a journalist, on Twitter. The school is located at 21178 Silver Spur Road in Rolling Hills Estates. The fire began around 8 p.m. around Portuguese Bend and other areas, the LA Times reported. UPDATE, 11:06 p.m.: "Large animal evacs Ernie J. Howlett...
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The fire that begun last night in Rancho Palos Verdes quickly prompted the exodus of thousands of people last night, but today firefighters got an upper hand containing the 230-acre blaze to 70 percent, as of noon, said Inspector Fredric Stowers of LA County Fire over the phone. Evacuation orders were lifted around 11:30 a.m., but residents will have to show their ID to gain entry into neighborhoods. However, some roads will be closed...
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A second fire within the Angeles National Forest off the Angeles Crest Highway (2) ignited around 3:30 p.m. this afternoon. It's located 5 miles north of the Jet Propulsion Lab and La Canada-Flintridge, according to KNX1070, which reports it to be around 20 acres in size. The fire is spreading rapidly within terrain full of heavy fuel, says the LA County Fire Department on Twitter. They tweet a fact, which may or may not...
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Authorities with the Angeles National Forest were already dealing with a small and controllable fire this afternoon when a worse one broke out in San Gabriel Canyon north of Azusa shortly before 4:30 p.m. It has burned at least 50 acres, according to a 5:05 p.m. Twitter update from officials. Fueled by winds and hot temperatures, the fire is moving fast and has prompted campground evacuations, the LA Times alerted in a breaking news...
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Officials announced this morning to take heed of the smoke pouring into the Los Angeles basin from the Morris Fire in the Angeles National Forest, but the LA Times finds that it could be sticking around throughout the hot weekend. While a lack of wind is helping firefighters battle the blaze in San Gabriel Canyon north of Azusa, it is also hindering it from blowing away.
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A brush fire that broke out this afternoon in Bell Canyon [map] is located within Ventura County, but is being tended to by Los Angeles City Fire Department due to its inaccessibility from and proximity to Ventura County Fire stations. As of now, and according to an LAFD email alert, the fire "has burned 8 acres; still no homes threatened; no injuries reported."...
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Shortly before 11:30, the Los Angeles Fire Department received a call of a brush fire in the hills of the San Gabriel Mountains seen from Foothill Boulevard. It is estimated to be 2-3 acres in size on the ridgeline. Temperatures in the San Fernando Valley are cool today, but winds are blowing in a southeast direction at a speed of nine, according to LAFD Spokesman Erik Scott. "It's too early to tell how much...
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Authorities in Santa Barbara County have confirmed that a wildfire which has currently scorched over 75,000 acres was set within a Mexican drug operation's cooking area, according to LA Now. The blaze began on the pot farm, and it's believed "the assailants are still in the forest area trying leave the forest by foot," as the fire rages uncontrolled. The "La Brea fire" started on August 8th, but is only at about 25% contained...
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Los Angeles has had some hazy and reddish smoke layer in some parts yesterday. That usually leads to brilliant sunsets, but they are a sign of nothing good. The two wildfires burning north in Santa Barbara and Shasta counties have grown to be "out of control," as characterized by the LA Times. Since last Saturday, the fire burning in the Los Padres Mountains 26 miles east of Santa Maria has burned some 40,000 acres...
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An aggressive brush fire in the Los Padres National Forest has burned 10,000 acres and is showing little sign of letting up, according to the LA Times. The La Brea fire began Saturday afternoon and is over five miles away from homes on the edge of the Santa Maria and New Cuyama areas. The national forest abuts the Angeles National Forest in the Santa Clarita Valley and extend along the South Coast Ranges to...
