Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger has issued a statement reflecting on the upcoming six-month anniversary of the Eaton Fire, which devastated large portions of Altadena and destroyed nearly 7,000 residential and commercial units. As the community continues its recovery from the wildfire that began on Jan. 7 and not declared fully contained until Jan. 31.

Barger describes both the progress made and the challenges that persist.

Record Debris Removal and Financial Relief

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has completed debris removal on 5,365 properties affected by the Eaton Fire and is on pace to finish clearing most eligible wildfire debris by the end of summer, setting a record for the speed and scale of the effort.

As of July 1, debris has been cleared from 95% of eligible residential properties in Altadena, creating a safer environment for rebuilding to begin. Thousands of structures have been cleared of hazardous materials, allowing property owners to move forward with reconstruction. “Altadena’s recovery has demonstrated what is possible when local, state, and federal agencies work together in lockstep,” Barger said. “In the time since the Eaton Fire, I’ve traveled to Washington D.C. and met with top level officials within the Presidential Administration, key Congressional leaders, and FEMA officials to advocate for ongoing support.”

County-led relief efforts initiated at Barger’s direction have awarded more than $27 million to impacted households, workers and small businesses.

“Our county’s Department of Economic Opportunity and Department of Business and Consumer Affairs have stepped up to meet the moment, creating new wildfire relief programs that did not exist prior to the 2025 Los Angeles Wildfires,” said Barger. “As a result, Los Angeles County has helped 2,273 households and assisted hundreds of small businesses and workers as they rebuild their lives.”

In addition, FEMA has approved $140 million in assistance to eligible Los Angeles County residents affected by the Los Angeles Wildfires, including $45 million in housing assistance. This support has provided 457 households with maximum housing assistance grants and rental assistance to more than 800 homeowners and 2,785 renters, as well as continued temporary housing assistance for 279 households.

FEMA’s rental assistance remains available for qualifying families and individuals who were displaced by the wildfires. Survivors who need help covering housing costs are encouraged to contact FEMA directly to determine their eligibility for this program or continued temporary housing assistance.

Tools and Programs to Accelerate Rebuilding

Under Barger’s direction, Los Angeles County established an Altadena Rebuilding One Stop Center in Altadena to streamline permitting, along with a Recovery Center at the Altadena Community Center to provide continued guidance to impacted residents. Pre-approved building plans and self-certification options have been launched and are available to help property owners move forward with reconstruction more quickly than ever.

The Building Plan Self-Certification Pilot Program, initiated by Barger and designed to accelerate plan review so homeowners can rebuild faster, is now open to eligible homeowners in unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County. California licensed architects and engineers can self-certify that their building plans comply with County codes, eliminating the need for a full plan check.

In addition, the county will soon be launching an innovative new tool, in partnership with the State of California and private philanthropy, that will help residents review their building and architectural plans for compliance with county land use and building codes. Archistar, a software tool that utilizes artificial intelligence, will be free for all property owners who are rebuilding in the wake of the January 2025 fires.

The county has also produced resources to help residents navigate the rebuilding process, including the Road to Rebuilding guide and an animated video explaining each step. The Rebuilding One Stop Center in Altadena continues to provide in-person guidance and offers weekday and Saturday hours for consultations.

Addressing Community Concerns

Yet, even amid this progress, challenges and hurdles remain. Many residents are still searching for answers about the tragic loss of life in West Altadena.

“One of the toughest parts of this recovery has been meeting the community’s need for answers about the tragic loss of life,” Barger said. “I understand how painful the uncertainty has been and continues to be, which is why I directed several Los Angeles County Departments to fast-track an independent evaluation of evacuation protocols and first responder performance. That work is underway, but it takes time to be thorough. I remain committed to transparency and accountability.”

The McChrystal Group, the independent evaluator contracted to perform this work–completed their data collection last month and is analyzing the results. A progress update is expected toward the end of July 2025, and will continue to be provided to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on a quarterly basis until the evaluation is completed.

Supporting Small Businesses and Preventing Displacement

Barger also emphasized the pressing need to support small businesses and prevent displacement as residents face mounting financial pressures. Later this month, Los Angeles County’s Department of Economic Opportunity will launch the Shop Altadena campaign to help drive foot traffic and economic activity back into the community’s commercial corridors on Lake Avenue, Lincoln Avenue, and Fair Oaks Avenue.

Simultaneously, the Altadena Recovery and Rebuild Corporation (ARRC) –a long-term recovery organization developed by Supervisor Barger and other community partners–has been established to develop partnerships between the private sector, non-profits, and the Altadena community to help residents, businesses, schools and other civic partners recover.

Important Deadlines and Upcoming Workshops

A foreclosure moratorium for FHA-insured single-family mortgages remains in effect until July 7, and homeowners in need of assistance are encouraged to call the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs or visit their website for foreclosure prevention resources.

Wildfire survivors interested in rebuilding with resilience in mind are invited to attend an upcoming virtual workshop on Saturday, July 12, from 10 a.m. to noon via Zoom. The workshop will cover requirements for manufactured and factory-built home submittals and is open to communities in unincorporated Los Angeles County recovering from the Eaton and Palisades wildfires. Information on registering, ADA accommodations, and language assistance is available at recovery.lacounty.gov.

Small businesses and nonprofit organizations affected by the fire have until October 8, 2025, to apply for Economic Injury Disaster Loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Health and Safety Resources

To help protect public health, Los Angeles County’s Department of Public Health continues to offer no cost soil testing and free blood lead testing to residents who were near wildfire burn areas. This testing will be offered through December 2025 and can be accessed by scheduling an appointment at a Quest Lab. Free soil lead testing is also available for households downwind of the Eaton Fire burn area. More information is available at publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/wildfire.

Next Steps: Infrastructure and Coordination

Looking ahead, Barger underscored that the next six months will be pivotal for Altadena’s recovery. Her priorities include accelerating rebuilding permit approvals and reducing turnaround times from the current average of 49 days to the county’s goal of 30 days or less.

She will focus on rebuilding and modernizing public infrastructure, including undergrounding power and telecommunications infrastructure, repairing and upgrading critical water infrastructure, while also pursuing funding to help residents connect outdated septic systems to new sewer mainlines.

To support this work, Los Angeles County Public Works continues to finalize a joint-trench policy that will enable utility providers to coordinate undergrounding of infrastructure more efficiently. As of July 1, the county is convening a Utility Rebuild Taskforce that will bring together high-level decision makers from each utility company to accelerate infrastructure planning and implementation.

“Altadena has an extraordinary opportunity to rethink how its neighborhoods function, improve walkability, plant new shade trees, and upgrade commercial and public spaces to meet the needs of a growing community,” said Barger. “I will engage residents in shaping the future of Altadena’s commercial corridors, with an eye toward creating vibrant mixed-use developments that can sustain local businesses and housing.”

To ensure that this work happens as efficiently as possible, she is evaluating the creation of a Reconstruction Authority for Altadena that would help coordinate infrastructure improvements without imposing new taxes or adding unnecessary bureaucracy.

“Altadena’s rebuilding is more than a restoration effort—it’s a chance to build back stronger, safer, and more resilient,” Barger said. “Over the next six months, I’m committed to doing everything possible to modernize our infrastructure, support our businesses, and help our residents stay in the community they call home.”

Eaton Fire survivors are encouraged to visit the county’s recovery website at recovery.lacounty.gov for more information about available programs, upcoming workshops, deadlines and health services.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger represents the Fifth Supervisorial District of Los Angeles County which is home to nearly two million people. The district covers 2,785.21 square miles and touches the Ventura, Kern and San Bernardino County lines. The Fifth Supervisorial District includes portions of 20 cities, including Santa Clarita, 63 unincorporated communities and 15 neighborhoods in the city of Los Angeles. Barger is currently serving as the chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for 2025.