Make California Post a Preferred Source Take Sunset Boulevard into the Pacific Palisades today, and you’ll encounter a flurry of construction activity.
More than 21 months after the January 2025 fires that incinerated the LA neighborhood, the skeletons of new houses are rising on burned-out lots, and the whirring of heavy machinery punctuates the air.
But there are many empty lots, and the burned-out hulk of the Business Block — once the centerpiece of the commercial district — stands as a stark reminder of how much remains to be done, and how much remains stagnant.
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So while there are encouraging signs, almost all of the progress is self-directed — pursued by wealthy residents, charities and LA developers like Rick Caruso. Though the rebuilding is a triumph of the resilient American spirit, the American government has gone AWOL.
Local, county and state governments have been supremely unhelpful to the victims of the Palisades fires. Back in April, LA Mayor Karen Bass visited the White House to discuss fire recovery for both the Palisades and the community of Altadena, but little has come of her visit.
The federal government helped initially. Back in January, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to fast-track rebuilding permits.
But in September, funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the Disaster Case Management (DCM) program, which helped survivors work with the federal emergency reimbursement process, ran dry.
The funding drought is a victim of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s self-serving grandstanding against President Trump, including authorizing $50 million in lawsuits against the administration. This lawfare occurred all while Newsom was simultaneously asking the feds for $40 billion in recovery funds, an absurdly outsized request.
As it turns out — maybe attacking your benefactor isn’t the best strategy.
Meanwhile, left out in the ash, the real victims, from the Pacific Palisades to Altadena, continue to struggle. Though the wealthy can afford to rebuild immediately, the middle class has no such luxury. Many are waiting on fire insurance checks before they can move on with their lives.
As a result of this malaise, residents are taking matters into their own hands.
In just over a year, Rick Caruso rehabilitated the Palisades Village shopping center to the tune of $100 million. He’s also urged other anchor tenants like Gelson’s to return, to spur homeowner confidence to come back to the community.
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Palisades residents have teamed up to provide a neighborhood “blockade” to defend their construction sites from rampant looting.
Organizations like the Every Fire Survivor’s Network, started after the 2025 Eaton Fire that razed much of Altadena, have fought against fire insurers which denied and delayed claims, and even found some success.
And just last week, about 500 volunteers — including celebs like TV star Joshua Jackson and FOX employees — teamed up with Habitat for Humanity for a four-day build. The initiative worked on 160 approved structures, with another 170 in the pipeline.
Overall, more than 1,000 homes are under construction in the Palisades — falling far short of the 7,000 structures that burned there.
America has always been a land of doers, people who came to this country to build a new society from scratch. California is no different — and its homeowning culture is the pinnacle of the American Dream.
We admire the tenacity of the California spirit, of Angelenos helping themselves, and working to help others. Crises can bring people together.
But the government, at all levels, should be actively trying to accelerate the process, rather than twirling on their office chairs and hoping for the best.
We celebrate the will of the people who, despite the obstacles, succeed. But where is the help they deserve?
