Slow Progress as Fire-Ravaged Palisades Rebuilds
The Pacific Palisades and Altadena areas of California are rebuilding a year after devastating wildfires, but the process won’t be completely smooth or quick.
Construction workers are rebuilding 500 of the more than 16,000 structures that burned, CBS News reported Sunday, noting that about 80 percent of community members who survived the horrific fires are still displaced.
“For those trying to rebuild their homes, the process has been marred by the woes of the insurance industry. Insurers are not just fleeing; some of those remaining have not paid, leaving an estimated 70% of survivors facing delays or denials,” the report continues:
“The reality is the insurance industry has been broken for a long time,” said Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “And it’s really unfortunate that it’s come to this, and it’s the survivors who really feel like the system is broken in a way that impacts their ability to move forward. Many are still waiting, still fighting with their confidence.”
Barger is the local official responsible for Altadena’s recovery. She says many families already feel left out and critical federal funding to help rebuild is on hold as the government reviews an estimated $40 billion in aid.
Many survivors are planning a rally Wednesday on the one-year anniversary of the fires that devastated their homes in Pacific Palisades to demand answers from Gov. Gavin Newsom (Democrat) and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (Democrat), Breitbart News reported Saturday.
“THEY ARE LETTING US BURN through gross negligence, mismanagement, poor preparation, lack of infrastructure and protocol. THEY ARE LETTING US BURN today with gaslighting, lack of transparency, accountability and vision,” the group said.
Video footage shows some of the devastation caused by the fires:
Meanwhile, Newsom has been accused of diverting attention from the Pacific Palisades fire to focus on so-called “climate change” and access to insurance, according to Breitbart News.
The outlet said: “Newsom’s remarks come as victims and lawmakers continue to question his leadership and accountability following a fire that destroyed nearly 7,000 structures and killed 12 people in the Pacific Palisades and Malibu areas alone. Newsom has faced intense scrutiny from federal officials, legal challenges from displaced residents and intense criticism from those who blame his administration of negligence, obstruction and political exploitation following the fire.”
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In November, a lawsuit filed by more than 3,000 residents alleged that California authorities failed to properly monitor embers in the days before the Pacific Palisades Fire swept through the area, according to Breitbart News.
A suspect was arrested in October in connection with the Palisades fire. He was identified as Jonathan Rinderknecht of Melbourne, Florida.
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