A burned home destroyed by the Eaton Fire that started on Jan. 7 in Altadena.
Los Angeles, California – Six months after the Eaton and Palisades fires swept through Los Angeles, Governor Gavin Newsom has declared the public debris removal phase substantially complete. It marks what state officials are calling the fastest major disaster cleanup in American history, covering more than 10,000 fire-damaged properties. The announcement comes alongside a new executive order designed to streamline rebuilding efforts, with a focus on homes and schools.
The state, working in tandem with Los Angeles County, the City of Los Angeles, FEMA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has removed more than 5.5 billion pounds of debris—twice the volume cleared from Ground Zero after 9/11. Nearly 9,200 properties have already been cleared through the state-federal program, while almost 2,000 owners chose to manage cleanup independently.
The scope and speed of the recovery effort are being touted as a model for future disaster response. But the success has come with extraordinary levels of coordination. At the cleanup’s peak, 500 teams operated daily, with as many as 16,000 responders and recovery workers deployed across affected areas. In just 30 days, hazardous waste was cleared from more than 9,000 sites.
Newsom’s latest executive order suspends regulatory hurdles—from permitting laws to environmental review requirements—that would typically delay reconstruction. It also exempts fire victims from installing solar and battery systems in rebuilt homes, while still requiring homes be solar-ready. Officials argue this move will cut upfront costs and encourage swift rebuilding without compromising long-term sustainability goals.
The order also directs agencies to support displaced residents through mortgage relief, tax deadline extensions, and fast-tracked approvals for temporary housing. Meanwhile, protections against price gouging and predatory real estate practices remain in place.
While the cleanup efforts signal an important milestone, the broader recovery is just beginning. Newsom unveiled a “blueprint for recovery” in partnership with local leaders, which aims to maintain momentum through the next 120 days. The roadmap includes identifying unmet needs, aligning resources, and defining measurable priorities for rebuilding.
The fires destroyed over 12,000 structures, including homes, businesses, and eight schools. All affected schools have now resumed in-person instruction, and local water systems are back online. Officials are also expanding mental health and substance use treatment centers in fire-affected areas, in what the Governor called the largest reform to the state’s behavioral health system in decades.
Despite the progress, leaders at every level are pressing for continued federal support. U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff, along with Representatives like Judy Chu, emphasized that future recovery depends on supplemental federal aid. Their calls echo a growing awareness that as climate-fueled disasters increase in frequency and scale, rebuilding efforts must become faster, more equitable, and more coordinated.
With the blueprint in hand, the next stage of recovery in Los Angeles aims not only to restore what was lost, but to rebuild stronger, safer, and with greater resilience in the face of an uncertain climate future.
