Rebuilding underway in Palisades Fire zone

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. - Three months after the deadly Palisades Fire erupted in the Pacific Palisades, the rebuilding process begins for what is believed to be the first home in the fire zone.

Heavy equipment is scattered throughout the neighborhood as debris removal continues, marking the start of a long journey toward recovery.

What we know:

The Lopez family, whose home was destroyed by the fire, is on an aggressive rebuilding schedule to get their 5-bedroom, 4,400-square-foot home up and habitable within 10 months. The new home will be equipped with NFPA 13D Fire Sprinklers, a system designed for residential homes to provide residents enough time to escape safely should a fire start. The sprinklers are intended to operate for about 10 minutes, allowing firefighters time to arrive.

The homeowners credit their builder, Dolan Design & Build, for expediting the process. 

"Finding a good team is crucial," said Walter Lopes. "Partnering up with people that understand the process." Despite having just paid for permits in 2022, the Lopes family was required to pay for permits and fees totaling around $6,000 again. 

Cory Singer, part-owner of Dolan Design & Build, expressed hope that the city would adjust the permit fees soon, suggesting they should be lowered or removed entirely.

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The home will be almost identical to the one that the family built here and moved into just three years ago, destroyed by the Palisades Fire.

The same builder is doing the work all over again, with the permits, he said, issued within three weeks. 

Altadena Residents Frustrated:

The rebuilding effort in the Palisades contrasts sharply with the situation in the Eaton Fire area of Altadena, where residents face delays and no rebuilding progress. This prompted the LA County Board of Supervisors to approve the creation of the Unified Permitting Authority, aimed at streamlining and expediting the residential building process for the over 7,000 homes destroyed in the Altadena area.

The backstory:

April 7 marked three months since the start of the deadly wildfires. January's Eaton and Palisades fires rank as the second and third-most destructive in California's history, according to a statement from the office of Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Roughly 16,000 buildings burned down between the two fires combined. As of Saturday, April 5, 10 permits had been approved for construction in the Palisades and just one in Altadena, highlighting the disparity in recovery efforts between the two areas.

What they're saying:

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass visited the Palisades last week, touting the progress being made ahead of schedule.

"When we look at fires in other communities, they weren't at this stage for many many months," said Bass.

Bass highlighted actions taken along with county, state, and federal partners to expedite disaster recovery efforts, "considered the fastest in modern California history."

What's next:

Mayor Bass is scheduled to hold a media briefing in the area where the rebuilding process has begun on Wednesday. 

Earlier this week, Cal Fire issued a statement urging residents statewide to take proactive steps now to protect homes and communities as the region heads into peak wildfire season.

Last month, Gov. Newsom proclaimed a state of emergency to fast-track critical projects protecting communities from wildfires ahead of peak fire season.