Months after the devastating wildfires caused widespread destruction in Southern California, thousands of people are still displaced as Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass seems to lack a sense of urgency in the reconstruction efforts.
Cal Fire has reported that over 12,000 homes, businesses, and schools were destroyed by the fires, forcing more than 100,000 individuals to evacuate from their residences following the January fires.
According to City of Los Angeles officials speaking to Fox News Digital, a mere 23 permits for 16 addresses have been sanctioned so far for the reconstruction of homes that were either severely damaged or completely razed in the affluent Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
“The first rebuilding permit was issued on March 5, 2025, by the LA Department of Building and Safety (LADBS) – 57 days after the start of the Palisades Fire and more than twice as fast as permits were issued after the devastating Camp and Woolsey fires,” city officials said.
Fire personnel respond as a helicopter drops water on the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2025. (DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Trump had initially threatened to withhold wildfire aid until certain stipulations were met in California, including changes to water policy.
In February, Newsom traveled to the White House to push for increased federal funding for recovery efforts and said he and Trump had a “very productive meeting.”
“As we approach one month since the devastating wildfires across Southern California, we continue to cut red tape to speed up recovery and clean-up efforts as well as ensure rebuilding efforts are swift,” Newsom said in a previous statement. “We’re working across the aisle, as we always have, to ensure survivors have the resources and support they need.”
“The Governor expressed his appreciation for the Trump Administration’s early collaboration and specifically thanked EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin for his agency’s swift action, including over 1,000 personnel on the ground focused on debris removal,” Newsom’s office added in a statement.
Trump declared that his administration was “looking to get something completed. And the way you get it completed is to work together.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the White House.
Fox News Digital’s Aubrie Spady, Anders Hagstrom and Louis Casiano contributed to this report.
Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to [email protected]
