The January 2025 wildfires that devastated Pacific Palisades and Altadena left an indelible mark on Los Angeles County. Beyond the immediate human tragedy lies a critical juncture for community planning and policy development. As climate scientists project increasing wildfire intensity and frequency in coming decades, the rebuilding process represents a rare opportunity to implement forward-thinking approaches that enhance community resilience against future disasters.
California has long been at the forefront of wildfire preparedness with its specialized building codes. The state’s “Chapter 7A” requirements, which mandate fire-resistant construction in designated high-risk zones, represent some of the most progressive wildfire building standards in the nation. These codes evolved from decades of post-fire analysis, with each major wildfire providing lessons that informed subsequent policy revisions. The effectiveness of these building standards is well-documented. Research shows that homes properly built to California’s wildfire codes are 40% more likely to survive wildfire conditions. A comprehensive FEMA analysis projected that implementing these standards could save $24 billion in damages to single-family homes over a 75-year period—a return on investment that far exceeds the incremental construction costs. However, these protective standards have historically applied only to state-designated wildfire hazard zones, creating an uneven patchwork of protection. In Pacific Palisades, which was already mapped as a high-risk area, all rebuilding must follow these stringent guidelines. Meanwhile, in Altadena, thousands of destroyed homes fell outside the designated zones, allowing reconstruction without fire-resistant requirements—despite the area’s obvious vulnerability demonstrated by the recent fires.
Recognizing the growing wildfire threat, California fire officials recently released updated wildfire hazard maps that significantly expand the areas where fire-resistant building codes apply. These new maps add 1.4 million acres statewide to high or very high-risk designations, including more than 500 additional buildings in the Eaton Fire footprint that affected Altadena. Los Angeles County must adopt these new zones by July 2025, giving affected property owners only three months before the more stringent rules take effect. This represents an uncommon example of strengthening—rather than loosening—building requirements after a disaster. Typically, governments face immense pressure to expedite rebuilding by relaxing regulations, often recreating the same vulnerabilities that contributed to the disaster. Despite these expansions, significant protection gaps remain. Even with the updated maps, more than 7,800 buildings in the Eaton Fire zone won’t be subject to wildfire-resistant building codes. This disconnect exists because California’s mapping methodology focuses on fires spreading from wildland areas and doesn’t adequately account for house-to-house fire spread in urban settings—a phenomenon that contributed significantly to destruction in both Pacific Palisades and Altadena.
While building codes address individual structures, true community resilience requires broader planning approaches. Los Angeles County officials are exploring several community-scale strategies to enhance wildfire protection beyond building requirements. One main way to creating defensible space is the use of strategic landscaping around buildings that reduces fire intensity and slows spread. This represents a critical complement to fire-resistant construction. Communities are developing neighborhood-wide defensible space plans that coordinate individual property efforts into cohesive protection zones, recognizing that wildfire resilience transcends property lines.
Another community-level intervention offered are undergrounding utility lines. Overhead power lines have ignited numerous California wildfires during high winds and are still being investigated as a potential cause of the Eaton Fire. Though expensive, placing these lines underground eliminates a major ignition source while enhancing community aesthetics. Several Pacific Palisades neighborhoods are exploring special assessment districts to fund undergrounding projects as part of their rebuilding efforts. These groups are hopeful that ConEdison will encourage the funding. Also included is improving evacuation infrastructure—widening roads, creating multiple egress routes, and implementing advanced notification systems—further enhances community safety. Narrow roads in hillside communities like Pacific Palisades can create dangerous bottlenecks during evacuations, a vulnerability that comprehensive rebuilding plans can address.
Lastly, LA City Council recently passed significant new funding for the Los Angeles Fire Department to be used on not only new hires and equipment but also infrastructure improvements for water lines to hydrants. The replacement of outdated hydrants is long overdue with new hydrants, which can handle higher water pressures from underground lines, and better accommodate LAFD tanker trucks.
Alternately, Los Angeles County is facing the difficult challenge of addressing both a severe statewide housing shortage and increasing wildfire risks. The county recently limited new housing development in the Altadena foothills where wildfire risk is highest, instead directing growth toward denser urban corridors with better access to public transit. This approach reflects an emerging consensus among planners that concentrated development in lower-risk areas offers both environmental and safety benefits. Denser communities typically have smaller carbon footprints while providing more efficient emergency services coverage. However, these policies raise complex questions about homeowner property rights, affordable housing availability, and environmental justice that communities must begin to thoroughly address through inclusive planning processes.
There are various policy tools to help communities navigate the financial challenges of fire-resistant rebuilding. Los Angeles County officials are exploring grant opportunities to help homeowners afford the added cost of requiring fire-resistant construction, particularly for those who are underinsured. These programs may provide particular support for lower-income residents who might otherwise be displaced by increased rebuilding costs. Expedited permitting for projects that exceed minimum fire-safety requirements represents another policy lever. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety is developing a fast-track permitting process for homeowners who choose to rebuild with sustainable, fire-resistant systems—incentivizing better practices through reduced administrative burdens.
Another crucial role requires Insurance innovations. Some insurance companies now offer premium discounts for homes built to enhanced wildfire-resistant standards, creating financial incentives that help offset higher construction costs. Public-private partnerships between government agencies and insurers show promise for expanding these programs to reach more homeowners.
Perhaps the most important element of rebuilding resilient communities is meaningful engagement with residents throughout the planning process. The Resilient Rebuild Advisory Committee, established by local official,s brings together community representatives, city officials, and diverse stakeholders to review and recommend rebuilding strategies. This collaborative approach ensures that development plans reflect collective neighborhood vision rather than top-down mandates. Community-based fire preparedness groups and ‘Block Captains’ have emerged in both Pacific Palisades and Altadena, providing coordinated assistance on timely completion of site clearance forms, education on fire-resistant landscaping, home hardening techniques, and evacuation procedures. These grassroots efforts complement official policies by fostering a culture of preparedness and shared responsibility for community safety.
As Pacific Palisades and neighboring communities rebuild, they embrace the vision for opportunities to demonstrate how urban areas can adapt to increasing fire risk through thoughtful planning and policy implementation. The choices made during this recovery period will influence vulnerability for decades to come, potentially establishing models for other fire-prone communities facing similar challenges. By approaching rebuilding in this way, as a holistic process that integrates individual structure protection with community-scale solutions, Los Angeles can transform disaster recovery into proactive resilience-building.
This requires balancing immediate recovery needs with long-term safety considerations navigating complex tradeoffs between development interests and hazard mitigation. The path forward demands collaboration between government agencies, private sector partners, and community members to create comprehensive solutions that address both the physical and social dimensions of resilience. Through these efforts, communities like Pacific Palisades and Altadena can emerge from tragedy with enhanced capacity to withstand future disasters while maintaining the unique character and connections that make them desirable places to live.
By Jack Hillbrand AIA, Architect
S.M.a.r.t. Santa Monica Architects for a Responsible Tomorrow
Robert H. Taylor AIA, Architect; Dan Jansenson, Architect & Building and Fire-Life Safety Commission; Samuel Tolkin, Architect & Planning Commissioner; Mario Fonda-Bonardi AIA, Architect; Thane Roberts, Architect; Jack Hillbrand AIA, & Landmarks Commission Architect;
Phil Brock, former SM Mayor; Michael Jolly, AIRCRE
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