It has been almost a year since the Palisades fire. The man accused of starting the fire is now facing three felony charges. The fire devastated the Palisades community.
What is California doing now and moving forward to prevent this from happening again?
“The city of Los Angeles really needs to look at its own processes in terms of how to expedite the permitting process, being sure that we have realistic timelines and when things will get rebuilt, and be in consistent communication with the people that have been affected by the fires,” said Betty Yee, a candidate for California’s upcoming Gubernatorial Election in 2026.
Affected communities cleared 900,000 tons of debris with federal and local teams. New construction follows strict wildfire codes to help better prepare residents for any future emergencies.
But how prepared is Santa Clarita for wildfires?
“Of everyone in my family, it’s really my mom who’s worried about it the most,” said Duane Lokitis, a COC Student.
“She’s the most concerned. She watches the news the most, sees all the fires happening. And especially recently, with you know, the fires earlier in the year, she has been packing a fire bag.”
The January 2025 Palisades fire showed us that embers can ignite homes miles ahead of flames. I took the time to meet with local firefighters here in Santa Clarita to discuss what we should be aware of to keep our community safe from fires.
“Make sure we’re limiting the amount of ignition sources, especially in those hot, hot days, hot, dry days, especially with those winds,” said Damon Gerdes, a Los Angeles County firefighter.
If you want to learn more about fire safety, try connecting with your local fire station or helping restore communities hurt by wildfires.
