Near the 15-month anniversary of the devastating Eaton Fire, Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger on Tuesday reported rebuilding progress across the burn area and said an “urgent need” exists for supporting wildfire survivors who have not yet started the recovery process.
So far over 1,025 homes are under construction, approximately 2,000 building permits have been issued and the county has received more than 3,000 applications to rebuild.
Barger noted that with more than 6,000 homes lost in the wind-fueled wildfire, only about half of impacted households have applied for county approval of rebuilding projects — signaling a critical gap in the area’s recovery.
“Today’s progress demonstrates that when survivors are able to enter the rebuilding pipeline, our system is working to move them forward efficiently,” Barger said in a statement. “However, the fact that only half of wildfire survivors have submitted applications makes clear that significant barriers remain, especially financial ones. Many impacted residents have taken no action to rebuild because they lack the capital to move forward — an issue exacerbated by delayed insurance payouts.”
The District 5 supervisor emphasized the importance of strong federal partnership to help close the recovery gap.
“I’ve appreciated the opportunity to meet with U.S. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler over the course of these past few months to have solutions-oriented conversations focused on recovery,” Barger said. “Both administrators remain engaged and attentive to our local Eaton Fire recovery work. I remain thankful that President Trump has an interest in supporting wildfire recovery efforts, and I welcome opportunities to work collaboratively with his administration to deliver meaningful relief for our residents.”
The fire that started in Eaton Canyon in early January 2025, then spread throughout Altadena and adjacent areas caused 19 deaths, destroyed over 9,400 structures and scorched approximately 14,000 acres during intense Santa Ana winds. Combined with a simultaneous wildfire in Pacific Palisades, damage costs of the fires are estimated to total tens of billions of dollars.