Pacific Palisades faced devastation from a January firestorm, with over 6,000 structures destroyed and 12 fatalities. The community recently reopened, leading to an influx of disaster tourists. Local officials report commercial tour operators are profiting from the destruction, prompting a unanimous City Council decision to restrict disaster tourism. Tour buses will be barred from disaster zones to ensure safety for ongoing recovery efforts. Future restrictions may remain permanent in certain areas due to the dangerous terrain, aiming to prevent further exploitation of disaster situations.
"My office and others have received numerous reports about commercial tour operators conducting disaster tours in the Pacific Palisades. They're looking to profit off of destruction and other people's losses. It's really gross and it needs to be stopped."
"It's also ... dangerous because we're still actively clearing fire debris," she said.
The city's Department of Transportation will restrict tour buses from any area declared part of a natural disaster emergency, and the ban will last through the duration of the emergency response.
The motion also called on the department to consider permanent tour bus restrictions in certain areas of the Palisades once the emergency expires, given the Palisades' narrow, winding and steep streets - potentially unsuitable for large buses even before the fire.
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