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LA County calls the freezing of FEMA reimbursements ‘frustrating’ amid ongoing fire recovery
Firefighters spray water onto a burning property in Altadena.
(
Brian Feinzimer
/
LAist
)
Topline:
Citing the partial government shutdown, the Department of Homeland Security announced Sunday that the Federal Emergency Management Agency would pause non-emergency work. The move could put a freeze on reimbursements for the ongoing Eaton and Palisades fire recovery efforts.
The background: Under the public assistance program, FEMA can reimburse 75% or more of the costs of debris removal, infrastructure projects and other work in disaster areas like Altadena and Palisades. But on Sunday, the DHS said FEMA will scale back to life-saving operations only effective this week.
LA County responds: In a statement, the L.A. County Office of Emergency Management called the measures “unprecedented,” “frustrating” and “highly disappointing.” The county said the success of the firestorm recovery is dependent on timely reimbursement for ongoing and completed work.
“Delays in the administration of the FEMA Public Assistance Program affect the restoration of our communities and impact ongoing hazard mitigation for future hazards and disasters,” L.A. County OEM said in the statement.
FEMA response: In an emailed statement, FEMA said that all non-emergency recovery work is currently on hold, including: “long-term recovery efforts, planning, and administrative processing that does not address an imminent threat.”
“These actions reflect the reality of operating without appropriations. FEMA cannot continue normal recovery operations under these conditions and must prioritize only its most critical, life-saving responsibilities,” the agency said.
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What’s next? Full recovery and assistance operations will resume once funding is restored, according to FEMA.
Go deeper… on how Los Angeles is recovering from the 2025 January fires.
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