Despite reforms, Los Angeles is rebuilding very slowly

Pasadena’s first permits issued after Eaton fire pave path to ‘building back really quickly’

Jun Li, owner of Funky East Design & Construction, talks about the design of her new home. (Photo by Jarret Liotta) Work underway at 1555 Riviera Drive in Pasadena. (Photo by Jarret Liotta) Jun Li is the first person in Pasadena to receive her rebuild permit. (Photo by Jarret Liotta) Jun Li and her company Funky East Design are rebuilding her home after the fire. (Photo by Jarret Liotta) Show Caption1 of 4Jun Li, owner of Funky East Design & Con…

‘You cannot prepare for an act of God’: Newly-released documents reveal gaps in Palisades Fire response

In the weeks following the Palisades and Eaton fires, KTLA submitted numerous public records requests seeking communications to and from top leaders—before, during, and after the unprecedented fire emergency—as communities struggled to begin cleanup and rebuilding efforts. The goal was to gain insight into the actions taken by city and county leaders during those critical […]

Despite reforms, Los Angeles is rebuilding very slowly

Good intentions do not always lead to promised results. After the wildfires in the Los Angeles-area earlier this year, state and local leaders promised to remove the regulatory barriers that impede construction. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed executive orders exempting the rebuilding from the Coastal Act and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said she was committed to rebuilding “as fast as possible.” Los Ang…

What Have We Learned About Rebuilding from Fire? - Legal Planet

A burned sign on Pacific Coast Highway in Nov. 2018 after the Woolsey Fire. Photo: Evan George When I first met Nicole Fisher in 2019, her property in the Santa Monica Mountains was nothing but a driveway and a pile of cement.  I was interviewing the art teacher for a radio story about her family’s plans to rebuild after the 2018 Woolsey Fire that destroyed her home and hundreds of others in Malibu. At that time, Malibu was still reeling. As we …