The new trees number in the thousands - at least 4,000 per acre or as many as 20,000, depending on who is counting. A few rise above head-height, the most energetic sentinels of regeneration. What will become of this nursery in the wild in the next hundred years, or thousand, is the crux of a scientific and policy dispute.
Nearly 6,000 properties sit in various stages of insurance dispute, debris clearance, redesign or financing limbo. What has stalled progress, residents say, is not a lack of will, but a lack of coordination, capital flow, clear accountability and the critical question around insurance.
The Palisades and Eaton fires began in Southern California on January 7, 2025. They destroyed over 16,000 structures and burned 38,000 acres. One year later, photos show the remaining devastation as rebuilding work continues. In January 2025, the Palisades and Eaton fires burned 38,000 acres across Southern California. Over 16,000 homes and businesses were destroyed as windstorms propelled the flames, according to the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services.
In an attempt to help residents who are at the early stages of rebuilding after the Eaton and Palisades fires, the state launched a new website Tuesday that links to contractors and designers that have been reviewed by "trusted community" partners. The tool from the governor's office and the public-private LA Rises wildfire recovery initiative comes nearly a year after the January inferno.
Fancy grocer Erewhon will return to Pacific Palisades in an entirely rebuilt store, as the neighborhood's luxury mall, owned by developer Rick Caruso, undergoes renovations for a reopening next August. Palisades Village has been closed since the Jan. 7 wildfire destroyed much of the neighborhood. The outdoor mall survived the blaze but needed to be refurbished to eliminate contaminants that the fire could have spread, Caruso said.
In the burn scar left by the 2022 wildfire in Sabinares del Arlanza - La Yecla Natural Park, Spain, Nomad Studio places Socarrado, a circular structure built entirely from charred juniper trunks recovered after the blaze. First conceived for the Uncommissioned Exhibition by Novo Collective, the work becomes a point of collective reflection for the communities of Santo Domingo de Silos, transforming damaged terrain into a site of memory, refuge, and healing.
When Marmol Radziner started receiving calls from families who had lost their homes to the LA wildfires, they wanted to help. New homes needed to be built, and victims were overwhelmed. "Most people plan for years when building their own homes, but this tragedy thrust people into a situation they were not planning for," says Jared Levy, Senior Project Manager at the AD100 firm. "It made sense for us to develop a prefab solution."
The TV and stage director had remodeled his Malibu home just five years earlier and had city-approved blueprints in hand, with the same architect set to oversee reconstruction. Yet eight months after the Palisades Fire destroyed almost 600 Malibu houses, the city has issued only two rebuilding permits. Weyman needed geological tests to ensure the stability of his bluff-top lot. Construction costs are roughly double his insurance coverage.
Adam's parents, like many other fire victims, are still trying to create a complete list of the contents of their Palisades home of almost 50 years. That detailed list is needed for insurance claims, but compiling it is time consuming and likely never really complete. That's why Adam and a friend created Bevelmade, a free website to help in a task that can seem overwhelming.
In the museum's newest exhibit, "A Sense of Place: Exploring the History and Evolution of the Imperial Stock Ranch," opening this month, a 150-year-old family ranch addresses the current issues of offshoring, sustainable ranching, and climate change that face Oregon farms and ranches. The Imperial Stock Ranch, located in the high desert of Wasco County, tells the story of Jeanne Carver and her work to rebuild the U.S. wool market with a focus on land and animal health.
Less than a month after January's Southern California wildfires destroyed his Altadena studio and musical instruments, Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes stood on the Grammy Awards stage to sing a revised version of Randy Newman's "I Love L.A." At the Feb. 2 ceremony, Goldsmith and his brother, Griffin - Dawes' drummer who lost his home in the fires - led an all-star band that included John Legend on piano.
The tennis ball, an undisturbed artifact of a horrific wildfire, sat just off the Pacific Palisades court and was so covered in gray ash that its Penn logo was only faintly visible. Pam Shriver studied it the way she might a precious archaeological discovery. "I find that so moving," the Hall of Fame tennis player said. "The ball survived." All of this is intensely personal to Shriver, as it is to millions of Southern Californians.
"I've spoken with wildfire survivors who would rather lose their homes to flames than endure the stress and confusion of navigating smoke damage claims," said Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara in a statement. "This is unacceptable."
"I don't think I've ever been such a crier. I feel like I cried a lot, all the time," said Lopez. "And PTSD really [messed] with my appetite. It's part of my politics to combat fatphobia, but I lost like 40 pounds."
This is a common sense post.” Pratt misrepresented the content of Senate Bill 549, claiming it would enable L.A. County to push dense reconstruction and bypass local zoning decisions.
California Governor Gavin Newsom emphasized the importance of quick cleanups in wildfire-affected areas but acknowledged ongoing challenges such as insurance payouts, rebuilding costs, and accountability.
The signs of change are evident across burned landscapes, showcasing new life blooming among the ruins, but the sense of loss from the devastating firestorm still overshadows progress.
