In Pasadena, Elected Officials Unveil Details on Path Forward Six Months After LA Fires

As Los Angeles County marks six months since January’s devastating wildfires, elected officials Monday honored the 30 lives lost and unveiled new measures intended to accelerate recovery and rebuilding efforts.

At a news conference at Pasadena City College, Gov. Gavin Newsom outlined steps as the region enters what he called the “restoration phase,” with plans to lower construction costs, reduce property taxes and expedite rebuilding.

“I’m grateful that we’re here. Altadena, in particular, is a special community,” Newsom said. “In Altadena, the average life lost is 77 years old. We had great grandparents, not just grandparents, and we had a father and a son that died. Brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles that perished in this fire.”

“I hope it puts in perspective the moment we’re in,” he added. “I hope it also puts in perspective how blessed we are to be here… and to have the opportunity to be part of this recovery.”

Newsom said recovery efforts will prioritize restoring community focal points alongside individual homes. He was expected to sign executive orders Monday expanding Coastal Act and California Environmental Quality Act exemptions to speed up rebuilding of homes and schools, exempting fire-affected homes from select building codes to avoid delays, while still requiring compliance with local zoning rules.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, thanked the governor and other elected officials, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, for their partnership.

“We’ve worked hard to lead concurrent efforts across both the Palisades and Eaton fire areas,” Barger said.

She announced the county’s new “Forward: Blueprint for Rebuilding” plan, expected to be posted online in the coming weeks. The plan includes:

• Waiving requirements and lowering rebuilding costs, which is expected to save the average resident up to $30K in costs during construction while giving individual homeowners choices about their project;
• Expediting property tax relief to provide homeowners with property value reassessments that can save them between $3,000 to $10,000 per year;
• Accelerating permitting and inspections; and
• Undergrounding more than 150 miles of overhead utilities.

The county also plans to launch AI-powered software on July 15 and hire additional staff to meet increased permitting and rebuilding demand.

“We’re working to restore schools, parks, businesses, services for seniors and childcare — everything that makes a neighborhood whole,” Barger said.

Bass was scheduled to attend Monday’s event but was responding to early morning U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity at MacArthur Park.

Deputy Mayor Rachel Freeman spoke on her behalf, saying the region is on track for the fastest disaster recovery in California’s history. Freeman said community spaces in Pacific Palisades are set to reopen later this month.

“…Construction is well underway in the Palisades, and L.A. is moving beyond the initial emergency response and firmly into the rebuilding phase,” Freeman said.

On Sunday, Bass’ office announced that nearly 80% of residential properties destroyed in the Palisades Fire have been cleared of debris and approved for rebuilding. More than 640 plan check applications have been submitted to the city’s Department of Building and Safety.

“We owe it to the families who lost everything to continue cutting red tape and working around the clock until this community is rebuilt even stronger than before,” Bass said in a statement over the weekend.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla emphasized the need for more federal funding to support Southern California’s fire recovery.

He also criticized the Trump administration for reducing the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s budget and workforce.