US EditionIt's Been One Year Since Wildfires Devastated Los Angeles. What Have We Learned?
Over 200,000 people remain displaced with only a handful of homes rebuilt, mainly by wealthy owners, amid $8.3 billion in property losses and toxic contamination challenges.
- A year after the Jan. 7-31, 2025 wildfires, more than 200,000 Los Angeles residents and homeowners were forced from their homes, with about 70% still displaced as of October and over 17,000 homes destroyed or seriously damaged.
- Fueled by extreme weather, persistent drought, vegetation buildup and Santa Ana winds exceeding 80 mph drove the Eaton Canyon fire in Altadena and Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades.
- EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared 2.6 million tons of toxic ash and debris, but some older homes still show lead and asbestos above EPA safety levels and retain volatile compounds.
- Rebuilding remains uneven, with analysts estimating an $8.3 billion loss in home values across Altadena and the Palisades, while less than 12 homes have been rebuilt mainly by wealthy property owners and many sell to real estate investors.
- With federal aid uncertain, Jeff Schlegelmilch said `Community-based organizations and nonprofits are doing what they can, but the task is monumental and requires a whole-of-society approach` amid ongoing funding uncertainty.
12 Articles
12 Articles
The Tablet
A Year After LA Wildfires, Parishes Hit Hard by the Blaze Look To Rebuild Community
Father Gilbert Guzman, pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Altadena, Calif., is pictured Dec. 19, 2025, pointing to the subroof that caught fire during the devastating wildfires. Tens of thousands of people were impacted after the Pacific Palisades and Eaton blazes began Jan. 7, 2025. (Photo: OSV News/Reese Cuevas, Angelus) by Pablo Kay LOS ANGELES (OSV News) — It was a picture-perfect December afternoon in Pacific Palisades, and the sounds of a n…
It's been one year since wildfires devastated Los Angeles. What have we learned?
The wildfires that ravaged Los Angeles a year ago were among the worst in California's history. They were exacerbated by persistent drought, a buildup of vegetation and Santa Ana winds which, at times, exceeded 80 mph. The most damaging fires, which reduced Altadena and Pacific Palisades to ashes, were finally extinguished on January 31, 2025.
Cal Matters
KPBSIn summary: Despite billions of dollars already paid out in claims, the fires exposed the problems of California's troubled insurance market. All policyholders are likely to see an increase in premiums. This article is also available in English. Read it here. One year after the deadly Los Angeles County wildfires, California's property insurance market remains troubled; survivors are suing insurers for delayed or denied claims; and most policyho…
A year after LA wildfires, parishes hit hard by the blaze look to rebuild community - The Leaven Catholic Newspaper
It was a picture-perfect December afternoon in Pacific Palisades, and the sounds of a neighborhood coming back to life were in the air: the steady drone of jackhammers, the hum of emergency generators, the squeals of contractor pickup trucks loaded with building materials. The post A year after LA wildfires, parishes hit hard by the blaze look to rebuild community appeared first on The Leaven Catholic Newspaper.
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