Wildfire News Updates

Hey there, welcome to the weekly public media wildfires update. 

We hope you were able to attend some meaningful anniversary events earlier this month. There are still ongoing community activations, so take a look back at our list for events in your area throughout the month. In addition, LAist has compiled a page with one-year anniversary stories for you to explore; find that coverage here, including personal accounts from many survivors. 

This week, we’re reporting on the slog of rebuilding and permitting issues that many homeowners continue to face; CalMatters has a commentary piece on how insurance laws are failing fire survivors; and PBS SoCal has two Earth Focus features on homebuilding with fireproofing in mind for the future.

Stay safe, 
KCRW, PBS SoCal, LAist, and CalMatters

Where We Are Now

• SoCal Edison files suits against LA County and others over Eaton Fire
• LAFD ‘never had a chance’ in Palisades: What new chief says about facing future disasters
• California fire victims say fighting with insurance companies has delayed rebuilding
• Some permits after L.A. fires are going out faster than others
• Watch: Communities struggle with rebuilding a year after LA fires

Looking Ahead

• Commentary: California’s insurance laws are a regulatory mirage, failing fire survivors
• Homes that survived the 2025 LA fires are still contaminated
• The EPA is changing how it considers the costs and benefits of air pollution rules
• Construction site vs. empty lot: It all depends on a permit
• L.A. wildfires: With no clear cleanup standards, how to test for toxic soil

Stories from the Community

• Attend January 31st: The Gift: A charitable photography-based pop-up with powerful images of Addi Somekh’s balloons in the ashes of the Eaton fire.
• How Altadena businesses are trying to recover from the Eaton Fire
• Making art after the fire: exhaustion, chaos, and creativity
• When fire came for her home, she knew what to do... again
• Altadena’s fire diaspora: Why some families left after the Eaton Fire
• "I could be homeless": Palisades' Frist Black Homeowner
• Watch: Jacob Soboroff reflects on lessons of LA wildfires in Firestorm 
• How Palisades Fire Put New Volunteer Firefighting Force to the Test

More That Caught Our Eye

• Six stories of loss and resilience, a year after the LA fires
• Meet the mushrooms saving the Altadena Community Garden
• After devastating fires, L.A. made one part of rebuilding easy
• Watch: Goodbye Plants, Hello Fire Safety
• Watch: Can You Build a Fire-Proof Home?

Updated Resource Guides

Air quality guide - Wildfire tracker map – Volunteer and donate – Housing resources - Insurance Q&A - KCRW Music Relief

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