One Year Later
One year after the destructive Eaton and Palisades fires, residents are rebuilding, businesses are returning and communities are once again rising.
The Eaton Fire
Supervisor Kathryn Barger reflects on the Eaton fire and recovery.
The Palisades Fire
Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath reflects on the Palisades fire and recovery.
Voices of Fire Recovery
Rebuilding is underway in both the Eaton and Palisades fire-impacted communities. Hear from residents about why they decided to rebuild.
The Dysons
West Altadena
Margot Stueber
Altadena
The Alvarados
Altadena
Cash and Grants to Support Communities
Throughout the year, Los Angeles County distributed direct cash and grant funding to households, workers and businesses impacted by the fires.
FEMA Support
Total federal assistance disbursed to LA County residents.
FireAid Relief Grants for Artists
FireAid Relief funding distributed to artists and creative workers.
LA Region Small Business Fund
Total funding disbursed to eligible small businesses impacted by the fires.
FireAid Grants for Parks
Funded E-STEAM camps at Loma Alta and Arcadia Parks for youth.
LA Region Worker Relief Fund
Total disbursed to workers who experienced loss of wages or employment.
Supporting Businesses and Workers
Through its small business and LA region worker relief funds, the department of Economic Opportunity has distributed nearly $24 million to support local businesses and workers as they recover. Here are some of their stories.
Palisades Dentists
Pacific Palisades
Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy
Pasadena
Patrick Hildebrand
Pacific Palisades
Milestones on the Road to Rebuilding
By the end of January 2025, fire-impacted communities were on the road to recovery as household hazardous waste and private property fire debris removal got underway. The Environmental Protection Agency completed their work on February 26, 2025, finishing just 29 days after beginning their work. The US Army Corps of Engineers removed 2.5 million tons of fire debris from 9,673 eligible properties.
Inspecting the Damage
Hazardous Waste Removal
Debris Removal Gets Underway
Certificate of Occupancy Issued
Tracking Rebuilding Progress
To view the latest permitting data, please visit recovery.lacounty.gov.
LA County Forward: Blueprint for Rebuilding
The Blueprint outlines the County’s commitment to an all-sectors recovery approach, partnering with state and federal agencies, private industry, philanthropy, and community organizations to advance six priority pillars for community rebuilding. Over the past six months, the County has taken concrete action by tripling permitting speed, reducing and deferring fees to save residents up to $30,000, supporting dislocated workers, and distributing more than $55 million to stabilize small businesses and restore essential services.
Lessons Learned
The Eaton and Palisades fires were the most destructive fires in LA County history. As a result, LA County is changing the way it prepares and responds to emergencies. Here are some highlights:
Sheriff’s Department
- Launched and expanded use of Citizen Evacuation Tracker tool
- Deploying Hi-Lo sirens on 280 new patrol SUVs to provide audible evacuation warning system in wildfire-prone communities; pursuing grant funding to support Hi-Lo capability across all patrol vehicles. (Video of Hi-Lo siren available here.)
- Formalized evacuation training and policy through updated Emergency Operations Plan and standardized evacuation curriculum
- Comprehensive modernization of Computer Aided Dispatch System underway
- Process of creating a centralized dispatch center—one in North county and another in the LA basin
Office of Emergency Management
- Initiated 3-year restructuring to increase staffing across the office to expand emergency response capabilities.
- Initiated a regular training program for the County’s alerting system for all staff.
- On track to establish a 24-hour Watch Center by Spring 2026 to monitor all emergent activity across the County.
- Strengthening collaboration with first responder partners to inform the public on “Know Your Zone” and the different methods of receiving emergency information before and during a disaster.
- Expanding existing preparedness programs across the County to reflect the risks for communities and incorporate preparedness education campaigns in native languages associated with those identified communities.
Fire Department
- Integrated new technologies and data feeds into its electronic incident management system, Tablet Command, including FireGuard and Genasys.
- Piloting new technology from OroraTech, which leverages satellite technology with hotspot detection and continuous monitoring in fire-prone areas
- Deployed portable satellite-enabled wi-fi systems and satellite radios to all chief officers
- Continued expansion of multi-agency training and drills.
- Procurement of new Computer Aided Dispatch System underway that will allow for improved communication between first responder agencies and better mapping of 9-1-1 calls.
- Enhancing community risk reduction and public education efforts.
Click here to view a list of actions and improvements already taken or underway as of September 2025. For a full update on the status of implementing after action report recommendations, click here. To learn more about the after-action reports, visit lacounty.gov/aar.
To view a general fact sheet about the Eaton and Palisades fires, click here.