Many people are talking about rebuilding their homes even though the fires continue.
Shocked in the wake of one of the most destructive natural disasters in Southern California history, thousands of bereaved families, devastated business owners and beleaguered leaders across Los Angeles County begin to contemplate another monumental task: rebuilding what was lost and charting a path forward. to follow.
Alex Rosewood and almost her entire family in Altadena, northeast of Los Angeles, lost their homes: her father, with whom she and her husband lived, and her uncles and cousins next door.
Memories of a lifetime of family relationships were lost, such as playing cards and Grandma Rosewood's unfinished quilt. Your wedding photos. Memories of his grandfather, who served in the Navy. These are all things he wished he could have saved in his frantic escape, as smoke turned the sky gray and his cousin's house began to burn.
But Altadena is still his home.
“We all plan to rebuild, for sure,” he said.
The traumatized region managed to get through Wednesday without another major fire breaking out, after meteorologists warned of another episode of especially dangerous winds.
But even as flames rage on in the two largest fires — which have killed 25 people and destroyed more than 12,000 structures — government officials spoke Wednesday of the epic task ahead: cleaning up Altadena, Pacific Palisades and others. communities devastated by toxic ash and debris and then rebuilding homes, restaurants, schools, boutiques, banks and places of worship, all while seeking financing to pay for it.
Due to ongoing firefighting and the potential for hazardous waste in burned areas, many anxious residents have not yet returned to see what, if anything, remains of their homes. The losses range from multimillion-dollar mansions with ocean views to the modest homes that once housed soldiers returning from World War II.
While talk of rebuilding may be a comfort to those eager to return to normal, there is still much we don't know.
What will the new neighborhoods be like? Will fire resistant materials and designs be used? Are more roads, and wider ones, needed to allow faster evacuations and easier access for fire trucks during future fires?
In the coveted hills by the sea, there is always the impulse to rebuild after a fire—it has happened many times before. But there are inevitable questions about whether it is wise to continue doing so in areas known to be high risk, especially in the era of climate change.
“It's going to be a while before we can go in there and build something,” said Michael Hricak, associate professor of architecture at the University of Southern California, referring to the dangerous chemicals and debris left behind.
As for the new construction, “it's not about being stronger than Mother Nature. “It’s about being somewhat respectful of Mother Nature and knowing what the challenges are.”
“Are we just setting up another problem in the future?” Hricak added.
The fires occurred at a difficult time, with the city immersed in a post-pandemic transition that has reordered work life and left many downtown buildings with high vacancy rates.
Additionally, the 2028 Olympics are being planned and the region faces what could be the nation's worst homelessness crisis, which had been Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass's priority before the fires began. last week.
The government has not yet released damage estimates, but private companies expect them to run into the tens of billions, and could become the costliest fire disaster in U.S. history.
The Northern California community of Paradise, where the state's deadliest fire killed 85 people in 2018, offers a glimpse of how meticulous and difficult recovery and rebuilding can be.
The flames then destroyed about 11,000 homes, approximately 90% of the community's structures. Four years later, as of last November, only about 3,000 homes and apartments had been rebuilt.
The city, which previously had 26,000 residents, has had to deal with high construction costs, expensive insurance premiums and uncertainty over the amount those who lost homes will receive from Pacific Gas & Electric, the utility found responsible for causing the tragedy.
In Los Angeles, a city known for its dense layers of bureaucracy and government paperwork, Bass this week issued an executive order to make it easier for residents to rebuild quickly.
“As we prepare to get through the rest of this emergency, we also have to start putting in place what we need to do to rebuild,” the mayor declared Wednesday.
The federal government has already approved $100 million to remove paint, cleaning products, asbestos, batteries and other household waste from the rubble before crews can begin removing the rubble. Robert Fenton Jr., regional administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, described the plan as a first step toward getting people home.
Elsewhere, the agency is helping those affected with new short-term accommodation.
Peter Dolan, who lived in Santa Monica, said he and his best friend lost their apartments on the same day. They visited the disaster recovery center together to figure out their next steps.
“This is what I have,” the 55-year-old said, pointing to his outfit: a leather jacket, shorts and sneakers, the clothes he was wearing the day he had to flee the flames.
Dolan didn't have renter's insurance, but he was able to apply for FEMA help and believes he will receive $750 and possibly cover his hotel stay for a few months.
Michele Baron and her daughter were among those who went to a recovery center in West Los Angeles to learn how to obtain new birth certificates and Social Security cards.
Baron lost almost everything when his Pacific Palisades apartment, where he had lived for 21 years, burned to the ground. Her daughter returned to the property and rescued a ring and pottery she had made as a child.
Despite the trauma, the plan is to stay.
“Now that I can go anywhere, in a way I don't want to,” he said.