Nearly a year after devastating fires tore through Los Angeles County, fewer than 4% of victims have been able to
Nearly a year after devastating fires tore through Los Angeles County, fewer than 4% of victims have been able to rebuild their homes, leaving most residents still displaced.
Fires broke out Jan. 7, 2025, in both Pacific Palisades and Altadena, California, destroying roughly 16,000 structures and killing 31 residents. Since the fires, only about 500 homes are currently under construction, as residents in both areas continue to face challenges with the insurance industry, according to CBS News.
“The reality is that the insurance industry has been broken for a long time,” Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger told the outlet. “And it’s really unfortunate that it came to this, and that the survivors are the ones that are feeling, really, the system broken in a way that’s impacting their ability to move on. Many are still waiting, are still fighting with insurance.”
During a Pacific Palisades hearing in November 2025 with Republican Sens. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin and Rick Scott of Florida, residents told lawmakers that red tape and insurance policies have prevented many from beginning to rebuild their homes.
Among those who testified, 94-year-old survivor Rachel Schwartz told the lawmakers that she worked her entire life to afford her home in the Palisades after surviving the Holocaust and coming to the United States at just 15 years old. After losing everything in the fire, Schwartz said her insurance company told her it will only cover roughly half of what she needs.
“I watched everything I own disappear in flames.
