@MicMonksReports: A look back - Six months after the fires: with Heather Brooker.

Michael Monks takes a look back - Six months after the fires: with Heather Brooker.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports. I'm Michael Monks from KFI
News with you for another hour on this weekend in
southern California. It's July, six months since the wildfires broke
out in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, destroying those communities and
some surrounding areas. I remember being in Alta Dina during

(00:28):
kfi's fire coverage for the first time in the daytime
where you could really take in the devastation. I wasn't
sure where to go exactly in Altadena to report for
that particular day, so I just punched into the GPS
Alta Dina Hardware. I'd go there and then I would
make my way around. So driving into the community that

(00:49):
day was really shocking. The closer I got, the more
evidence of fire piled up. It started with some damaged
street banners, and then a burned v vehicle, and then
a whole house gone, and then a whole block gone,
and then a whole neighborhood. By the time I got

(01:10):
to Altadena Hardware, there was no Altadena hardware. It was apocalyptic.
It was also surreal to see some streets where one
side would be gone completely and the other would still
be there. During that time, I was doing a lot
of reporting, not just for KFI, but for a lot

(01:32):
of our iHeart stations here and across the country. Valentine
in the morning on my FM, he got me on
the phone on this day. This was my first daytime
visit to Altadena for fire coverage. And here's what that
sounded like. Whatever our iHeart reporters from KFI, Michael Monks,
and the phone line, Michael, where are you right now?

Speaker 3 (01:50):
I'm on the corner of Mariposa Street and El Molina Avenue,
and all four corners have a little bit of a
difference to them. I'm standing in front of the Maritz
that town homes for rent. This sign has no damage
to it at all whatsoever. Mere feet behind the sign
advertising the town homes, there are no town homes. They're gone.

(02:11):
They're burned to the ground. There is smoke coming off
of the rubble that used to be these homes that
owners were trying to rent out. When you look across
the street, the firefighters have set up shop in a
building that is completely fine. On the other corner, you
see the frame of a brick strip mall that looks
pretty old, early to mid century, and there used to

(02:33):
be a state farm agency in there. There used to
be a hardware story there not anymore, it's all gone.
And then the last corner, everything it's flattened and you
see cars that are black. You see the smoke coming
off of the ground still. I've got one of these
utility poles split half hanging by I don't know what.
I guess the wires above right, and the smoke is

(02:54):
coming off of that, and so it's just a scary situation.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
Being in the Palisades was also shocking.

Speaker 3 (02:59):
On a.

Speaker 2 (03:01):
Up on one of the hills overlooking the ocean, an
entire business district was just gone. But you could see
where people used to sit and shomp or eat and
enjoy that view. The beautiful houses gone, just a graveyard
of fireplaces with chimneys sticking up like headstones. It will

(03:22):
be a long road ahead to rebuilding both these communities.
But to mark six months since it all happened, Governor
Knwsom came to town this week. He appeared with local
officials to talk about how the government is doing in
its response and what it needs to do to be better.
Here are some of the governor's remarks celebrating what he
refers to as the speedy removal of debris.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
I think at this moment it's appropriate to remind ourselves
that there are people that are not here, Thirty lives
that were lost because of this tragedy, and I should
just highlight where Pasadena Community College, we're grateful we're here.
Alta Dina in particular special Community Alta Dina. The average

(04:05):
life lost was seventy seven years old. You had great grandparents,
not just grandparents. You had a father and a son
that died, Your brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles that perished
in this fire. Thirty lives lost it. I hope puts
in perspective the moment we're in over two thousand homes

(04:27):
per month that debris was removed, just a few hundred
haven't been cleared, and in the process as we speak
of being cleared all told, ninety six percent now of
all the debris has been removed. We could say it's
substantially complete, but issues around permitting are foundational, as well

(04:50):
as addressing public infrastructure. If you're going to come back home.
You want to come back home knowing that a lot
of the infrastructure has been secured that you were able
to turn on the gas, you're able to turn on
the water. You got the sewage system that you can
connect to. You've got the Internet that you can connect

(05:10):
to as well.

Speaker 2 (05:12):
He paints a pretty rosy picture, and we know from
talking to people experiencing life in the aftermath that things
are not so rosy. Red tape is still there, and
of course we still live under the threat of wildfires.
We've seen plenty pop up just in recent days. So
the governor has also kicked off this new campaign to
prevent wildfires. But here's the thing, it will require cooperation

(05:36):
from the federal government in the state of California and
the federal government are not on great terms. Governor Newsom
and President Trump are rivals. They trade barbs online and
in the media. Newsom may want to run for president
himself next time around. He's been in South Carolina in
recent days, so politically the relationship is not good. But
the governor says President Trump will be needed as part

(05:59):
of wildfire prevention in California, especially as it relates to
the National Guard, which Trump federalized and dispatched to LA
to protect federal buildings during anti immigration enforcement demonstrations. Newsom
says those troops are needed to help prevent wildfires.

Speaker 4 (06:15):
State of California manages three percent of the land in California,
three percent fifty seven percent of the land in this
state is under the jurisdiction of the federal government. We
cannot do it alone in isolation. We need the support
of the federal government. The Trump administration needs to step

(06:35):
up and they need to fund these efforts, not just
here in California, but throughout the Western United States. Lives
and property are on the line. Critical that we get
our men and women back the National Guard to get
them back doing the work in partnership with the Conservation
Corps and CalFire to get these projects moving again.

Speaker 2 (06:58):
Meanwhile, this ongoing, ever present threat of wildfires in California
has also made insurance a difficult subject and a costly one.
But there could be changes on the horizon for Californians
who have had a tough time getting homeowners insurance because
of this wildfire risk in the state.

Speaker 5 (07:17):
In recent years, as wildfires have exploded year round in California,
seven of the twelve biggest homeowners insurance companies have stopped
or limited doing business in the state, citing growing risks
from climate change and the cost of rebuilding homes. In California,
it's made it impossible or financially unreasonable for many homeowners
to get comprehensive insurance. Now the California Department of Insurance

(07:38):
is previewing it is weeks away from a major change
to stabilize the insurance marketplace here. The changes include allowing
insurance companies to use forward looking modeling to predict future
risk at like Stone ab Sinews, Los Angcheles.

Speaker 2 (07:52):
When I was an Altadena in the Palisades during and
immediately after the wildfires, it was something to see houses
completely disappear and see neighboring homes still there barely touched.
My first thought in seeing that was those people are lucky.
But they may not have been as lucky as I thought.
Insurance may be giving them a very hard time in

(08:15):
their hope to return home. So up next, I'll talk
to an advocate from Consumer Watchdog who says some of
these folks think it would have been best had their
homes just burned to the ground like their neighbors did.
We'll talk about why that is, and then later a
special report from kfi's Heather Brooker looking back on these
six months since the wildfires, from the start to where

(08:35):
we are now. That's coming up on Michael Monks Reports.

Speaker 1 (08:39):
But you're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.

Speaker 2 (08:44):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is Michael Monks Reports on Michael Monks from KFI News.
Local and state officials recognized this week the six month
mark since the Palisades and Eaten fires, which started on
January seven. Everyday since the burned out empty lots, the
lost communities, and the horrifying reminders of those flames have lingered,

(09:08):
waiting for whatever comes next. But some houses were spared
from the flames, or so it would seem. Justin Costco
with Consumer Watchdog joins us now to share details about
people whose homes are still standing. But where there's smoke,
there's fire, justin Thanks so much for being with us, Hey,
thanks for having me. You know, when these fires ravaged

(09:31):
the Pacific Palisades and Altadena and surrounding areas, I was
there in both locations and it was jarring really not
just to take in the devastation, but to see the
occasional home that looked untouched as you're walking down the street,
and you wonder, how did that happen? What twist of

(09:51):
fate allowed this family's house to still be standing. But
what we're learning is that it's not so cut and dry.
These home homes that were left standing suffered damage, maybe
in a different way, and the families that still own
those properties are struggling, especially with toxicity. What have you
learned about those standing homes?

Speaker 6 (10:14):
Yeah, I mean, what we've learned from these standing homes
is that you know, looks can be deceiving, and like
you said, even though you know, the homes that by
some twist of fate are still standing, are actually still
they are damaged, they are hazardous, and that there has

(10:34):
been this sort of second fight, you know, after the
trauma of the fires, you know, and that is with
toxicity and homes and smoke damage. Especially this issue of
smoke damage has been very contentious. A lot of insurance
plans don't want to test, they don't want to pay.

(10:54):
They're basically giving people, you know, a mob and a
bucket if that and saying this up yourselves. So that's
kind of the start of it.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
Well, look, I think everybody who's ever seen a fire anywhere,
whether it's something massive like palisades and eaten or just
an unfortunate incident that may have happened on a residential street,
smoke damage makes sense. A the neighboring home took some
smoke damage that was from the fire next door. It
damaged the home. What I've learned from reading your research

(11:28):
and a report that picked up on your research in
the New York Times is that some very unsurprised I
should say surprising items it can cause some very serious
health concerns. We're talking about plastic shower rods or a
garden hose, a car tire that may have been left
in a garage, fleece jackets, upholstered chairs, these things in

(11:50):
those areas that may have burned are still causing lingering concerns.
What can you tell us about that?

Speaker 7 (11:56):
For sure?

Speaker 6 (11:56):
And you know a lot of stuff burns and fires,
you know, you know to Dina and the palisades of
course are you know, near big cities, and so you
got everything's burning, you know, and that is producing lead, asbestos,
arsenic you know, there are no safe levels of lead

(12:16):
to humans, and that is being found all over these homes.
I know, in particular, one group tested I think almost
two hundred homes. They all had levels of lead that
were above state and federal thresholds. Yeah, these houses are
are toxic. You do not want to be in them,

(12:40):
let alone you know.

Speaker 1 (12:41):
Live in them.

Speaker 6 (12:43):
And so you know this is presented, you know, a
big problem for policyholders who are trying to move on
with their lives.

Speaker 2 (12:49):
Well, let's talk about those policy holders because I know
we've had a lot of conversations about people who lost
their homes. They don't feel like they're being treated properly
by their insurance firms, that maybe they're policies didn't cover
all of their needs to rebuild. Just a ton of
problems from permitting and getting access to your site and
being prepared to rebuild. It's just one thing after another

(13:09):
for those folks. But again, these these other people who
do have their homes physically standing still that to the
naked eye look like they could just live there. Again,
what are the insurance challenges that these people are facing.

Speaker 6 (13:23):
Yes, so from the people that you know, we've talked
to and we've spoken directly with fire survivors. One lady,
you know, basically took State Farm for her word. They
gave her a check for like twenty six thousand dollars
or something, and I think she was given maybe filters
and deodorizers. Now, a deodorizer's basically splaying perfume over toxic chemicals.

Speaker 1 (13:47):
It's not going to do anything.

Speaker 6 (13:48):
It might just make it smell different. But then you know,
when this woman did independent testing, you know, the insurance
company didn't pay for that. She found a best hostals
all over our house and when in reality, you know,
what would it would take to remediate her home was
in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and her insurance

(14:10):
provider was.

Speaker 1 (14:10):
Not covering that.

Speaker 6 (14:13):
Other companies are just giving people air filters and being
like see you later. You know, once you remove an
air filter, everything comes back. It's a temporary solution. People
are being given band aids. What needs to be happened is,
you know, like drywall has to be taken down. This
stuff gets into two drawers, and insurance companies aren't even

(14:33):
looking in drawers. They think smoke doesn't penetrate like closets
and things like that. So it's really absurd what policyholders
are having to go through with right now.

Speaker 2 (14:43):
You mentioned that one of these policy holders holders said
that they received a check perhaps from their insurance company
for twenty six thousand dollars, and that would have provided
for some abatement, but it's missing the underlying issues. What
type of edge occasional concern do people like you have
when it comes to insurance policy holders who think, oh, good,

(15:06):
they gave me a check to do this, this is
all I need to do, only to find out later
that that is not enough.

Speaker 6 (15:13):
Yeah, don't don't trust insurance companies to kind of control
the narrative and because they give you a solution that
is the right one. I mean, you know, we did
this report to try and directly help people kind of
going through this process and like, you know, don't rush,
you know, test for toxins before you clean up. Hired
industrial hygienis to first establish what is in the house.

(15:36):
Insurance companies are not doing that, you know, if you
have an insurance adjuster show up, you know, try to
walk the loss with an insurance adjuster, walk alongside, and then
make sure they're catching everything because often they don't want
to see stuff or they just miss stuff, and you know,
kind of push back on these cosmetic fixes. Like I

(15:58):
was saying, you know, if if an insurance company gives
you a deodorizer an air filter, but you know you
have asbessist or led in your home at elevated levels,
you know, fight against that, pushback against that, and make
a record of everything because from the people we've talked to,
and we've talked to a lot, it's very common for

(16:19):
people to sort of go through multiple adjusters and there's
a disruption in the claims process and things get lost.
So make a record of every email text you know
that that occurs, and you know, and try to be persistent.
I know it's hard and it's a long battle, but
try and be persistent with these.

Speaker 2 (16:39):
Companies we're talking with justin Costco and advocate with Consumer Watchdog.
I talk to some folks whose houses were still standing
in the aftermath of these fires, and it wasn't unusual
for some of them to say they kind of wish
that or thought that maybe it would have been better
off had their house just burnt earned because it's so

(17:01):
much clearer, it's it's more cut and dry. Is that accurate?

Speaker 6 (17:06):
Totally accurate. I heard the same thing, people just being like,
it's easier to deal with a total loss than trying
to figure out what is in my home, what kind
of toxins, what kind of damage? How do you fix it?
Who do I got to talk to? And knowing you
know all the legal rights you do and don't have. Yeah,

(17:29):
it's a whole new can of worms. It's a gray area,
for sure. We have we have heard the same thing,
as ridiculous as it sounds, that it is a huge,
huge issue.

Speaker 2 (17:41):
Something to pay attention to, for sure. Justin Costco, an
advocate with Consumer watch Dog, justin grateful for your report
and grateful that you've spent some time with us here
in KFI.

Speaker 6 (17:49):
Thanks for your attention to this, Mike. Thank you.

Speaker 2 (17:51):
Up next day KFI special feature report by our Heather Brooker.
Six months since the January wildfires, How it all unfolded?

Speaker 1 (18:00):
Listening to KFI AM six forty on DEMANDM.

Speaker 2 (18:04):
Six forty Live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app. This is
Michael Monks reports on Michael Monks with KFI News. Last weekend,
the night skies around LA were bright and loud, Despite
the annual reminder from law enforcement that they are very
serious this time.

Speaker 3 (18:20):
They mean it.

Speaker 2 (18:21):
You cannot shoot off illegal fireworks here. It happens anyway. Now,
some folks did face justice, a good talking to by
the police, a ticket, maybe jail. A thirteen year old
boy has been arrested accused of lighting fireworks that sparked
a fire in the brush of Laguna Beach. Now, boys
will be boys and all that. Kids make mistakes. Hopefully

(18:43):
they learn, but sometimes those mistakes are really really bad,
and they have far reaching consequences, and this could have
been one. This wasn't just a little grass that caught
on fire. It burned about four acres of land and
forced about one hundred homes to be evacuates waited. Had
it been hotter, drier, windier, this could have been far worse.

(19:07):
And we know that here all too well, especially with
the rawness we all still feel from the January wildfires
and the lack of concrete answers around what caused them.
It's been six months, the fires are out, but the
work to rebuild is only in its very early stages.
Let's go back to January and remember how it all

(19:28):
went down. Here's kfi's Heatherbrooker.

Speaker 7 (19:32):
I don't see this house.

Speaker 8 (19:34):
It started with a strong wind warning. The Santa Anna's
are nothing new for people who live in southern California,
but this this was different.

Speaker 1 (19:43):
Out of the wall of flame fell.

Speaker 2 (19:46):
We've got some strong winds on the way. This is
a particularly dangerous situation. This is about as bad as
it gets in terms of fire weather.

Speaker 8 (19:57):
At ten twenty nine in the morning on Tuesday, janu
qu seventh, the first nine to one to one call
was made to the LA Fire Department about a brush
fire near homes in the affluent Pacific Palisades community.

Speaker 9 (20:08):
This is Gary and Shannon and the Palisades right now.
They say this beast started at about ten acres. That was
the quickest estimate you could get already at ten acres,
but with the potential to spread to two hundred acres
within twenty minutes.

Speaker 8 (20:22):
According to dispatch reports, the first firefighters arrived within twenty
minutes on the ground and with aerial support, but by
then the flames, propelled by unrelenting winds of more than
sixty to eighty miles per hour, had more than doubled.

Speaker 10 (20:37):
The first flames just near goat peak if you know
that is, and it's headed down towards the Palisades thirty
to forty mile an hour sustained winds, and then gusts
could be higher than that.

Speaker 8 (20:47):
Over the next few hours, there would be a mad
scramble of people trying to gather what they could of
their belongings and get down the hill to safety. While
firefighters and other first responders tried to get closer to
the flames, they were quickly overwhelmed and surrounded with a
fast moving fire an intense smoke that blackened the sky.
Zero percent containment. Preliminary reports estimate the damage or destroyed

(21:12):
structures to be in the thousands. The devastation was almost
immediate and widespread. More than ten thousand homes or under
evacuation orders. A man named Curtis told reporters he lost everything.

Speaker 6 (21:25):
I mean everybody's not just this community, community next door.

Speaker 3 (21:30):
I'm sure all the people up there blest everything.

Speaker 1 (21:34):
Uh, it's just pretty devastating. This is pretty devastating.

Speaker 10 (21:40):
I don't think Las seen anything like this before, not
even the earthquake.

Speaker 8 (21:44):
People tried to save what they could, but with the
rugged terrain and narrow streets in the palas Stades, it
was nearly impossible to try to escape as the streets
became gridlocked. Some even abandoned their cars, fleeing on foot,
which made it difficult for firefighters to get trucks to
the fire line. The rest of Los Angeles and the
world listen to radio reports and watched video of local

(22:05):
news and on social media showing the chaos, confusion, and
heartbreak unfold as people fought for their lives and watched
their homes burn.

Speaker 3 (22:15):
Don't know.

Speaker 2 (22:15):
I'm gonna go sit and watch news all day.

Speaker 8 (22:17):
And while the Palisades fire tore down the hillside and
into Malibu with no signs of slowing down, a new
threat emerged.

Speaker 10 (22:24):
We're talking about this fire in the Palisades, but you've
got news that there's something else going on.

Speaker 7 (22:29):
There's a charted out as ten acres. Now it's bigger
Eaton Canyon on the east end of Altadena and the
border of Pasadena. They got bullbrush response from Melle County
and Pasadena on it, and.

Speaker 8 (22:41):
James Brotherton from the National Weather Service in La told
kafi's Tim Conway Junior, forty miles across town, near the
quiet community of Altadena, a new fire had sparked in
Eaton Canyon, residents reported seeing flames at six', ten but
evacuations weren't ordered until more than an hour, later and
within the hour the fire had reached homes and many

(23:02):
people began to self.

Speaker 11 (23:03):
EVACUATE i WISH i could explain how The Santa ana
winds really are on any given, Day but they are
going eighty miles an, hour and despite the fires, themselves
it was just like an absolute. Windstorm we've heard about
fires in our area for. YEARS i, mean we live
in the. Mountains it's a very normal. Thing never have
we thought about something being as close as it was

(23:24):
until we received a text message with a photo that
showed the fire just a few miles from our home
behind our.

Speaker 8 (23:31):
Church lauren then and her Daughter laurie recalled the terrifying
winds and heavy smoke that filled the air as they
left behind the home that had been in their family for, generations.

Speaker 11 (23:41):
And then we realized how serious the fires were and
that there might be a chance to.

Speaker 12 (23:46):
Evacuate that, night the winds were ninety five miles per,
hour and even when we were packing the, cars the
hood kept falling on our heads because of the win
was thrown small little tornadoes in the. Road and then
trees were, down wires were. Down it was one of

(24:07):
the most scary.

Speaker 9 (24:08):
Things kfi's continuing coverage of the fire's plural not only
The palisades, fire but also the Emerging Eaten canyon.

Speaker 8 (24:17):
Fire we get in an entire nursing home was forced
to evacuate before first responders. Arrived the images of the
elderly and infirms surrounded by smoke and flames were hard to. Watch,
reportedly firefighters called for backup multiple times but were told
none were. Available they said hydrants failed and the flames grew,
stronger overtaking historic homes and businesses within. Minutes one firefighter

(24:40):
even used a pool to fill a trash can with, water.

Speaker 13 (24:43):
And we have zero percent. Containment we have several reported
injuries and over one thousand structures damaged and.

Speaker 8 (24:53):
Destroyed FORMER La Fire Chief Kristin crowley AND La County
Fire Chief Anthony maroney told the public at the extreme
wind and drought created a rare and deadly combination that
made it nearly impossible to stop the wildfires in The
palisades In altadena On january, seventh it would be twenty
four days before the last flames of The palisades And
Eaton canyon were finally put out when the smoke cleared

(25:17):
and embers died. Down thirty people were, killed twelve in The,
palisades eighteen in The altadena. Area more than sixteen thousand
structures were, destroyed most of them. Homes The palisades And
eaten fires were among the most destructive In california, history
with an estimated ninety four billion dollars to one hundred
and sixty four billion in total capital and property. Loss

(25:42):
with so much devastation and, loss how do these communities
begin to? Recover? Now six months, later there is finally
a ray of.

Speaker 14 (25:51):
Hope part two Of heather's special report on six months

(26:18):
since The January wildfires is just ahead here On Michael Monks.

Speaker 1 (26:22):
Reports you're listening TO KFI am six forty on, DEMAND.

Speaker 2 (26:27):
KFI am six, forty mive everywhere on The iHeartRadio. App
this Is Michael Monks reports On Michael monks FROM Kfi.
News it's been six months since The january wildfires claimed
the communities Of Pacific palisades And, altadena and both areas
have a long road to recovery. Ahead Kfi's Heather brooker
continues our look back now with part two of her special.

Speaker 8 (26:49):
Report as daylight broke On january, eighth the full scope
of the catastrophe was still coming into. View fire was
devouring everything in the palaces In, altadena from schools and
churches to mobile home parks and celebrity, estates along with
state parks and iconic. Restaurants thousands of people left without,
homes businesses were, gutted and many people remained unaccounted, for

(27:14):
and the flames were still. Raging it would be twenty
four days until the last ember was.

Speaker 13 (27:19):
Extinguished, really the entire hill foothills above us was just
completely in.

Speaker 8 (27:25):
Flames Jose alanzuela is a long Time altadena resident an
owner Of Altadina Grocery, outlet a staple in the. Community he,
says thankfully his family and his employees were safe from the,
fires and, shockingly his grocery store was spared from.

Speaker 13 (27:39):
Destruction we suffer very minor actual structural damage to our,
building which is just again can't really make sense of,
it but everything around, us, unfortunately AND i mean literally
everything around, us has burned to the.

Speaker 8 (27:56):
Ground in the months since the, fire he has felt
the real heat of loss.

Speaker 13 (28:01):
When we open we pretty much dropped fifty. Percent we
know it's going to come back and we will, rebuild
and we, are you, know looking forward and pushing, ahead
but the reality is going to be a little. While you,
know there's there's no people living in our community at this.

Speaker 8 (28:17):
Moment in, fact many of the businesses that remain in
the fire areas are struggling to keep their doors.

Speaker 15 (28:21):
Open websters has been here since nineteen twenty, six so
we are ninety nine years old In.

Speaker 8 (28:27):
Altadena Meredith, miller who owns the Historic Webster's Community, pharmacy
says she and her husband scrambled the night of the
fire to find another pharmacy that could temporarily handle their
customers prescriptions and ensure patients had access to their.

Speaker 16 (28:41):
Medications you, know there's A bank Of america that shares
basically shares the parking lot, here and they burned, down
so at that, point you, know we kind of figured
it was over for.

Speaker 12 (28:52):
Us when we.

Speaker 15 (28:52):
Got back in here in Mid, february we had to
literally destroy, everything so that was. Tough every, pill every
item on the shelf had to. Go and so when
we got back in, here we were basically empty and
starting all over.

Speaker 8 (29:09):
Again what were those first few weeks like after you
reopened your. Business so the.

Speaker 15 (29:14):
First couple of weeks of being here were, frankly very
difficult for. Everybody there were a lot of, tears a
lot of, trauma a lot of. Shock people kind of
just in a daze coming.

Speaker 7 (29:27):
In they needed to get a.

Speaker 5 (29:28):
Prescription and all.

Speaker 15 (29:31):
We did was hug and, feel you, know and just
be grateful that we were all alive and that we
were going to overcome this.

Speaker 8 (29:38):
Somehow there's still a long way to go for residents
to recover and. Rebuild Altadena Town council Chair Victoria knap
says there is no set timeline for full, restoration but
progress is steadily being.

Speaker 17 (29:50):
Made rebuilding is just getting. Underway there are homes the
first that were the first permits that were issued that are.

Speaker 8 (30:00):
Underway napp lost her, home as did many of her
friends and, neighbors.

Speaker 17 (30:04):
But we were the first, neighborhood or among the first
neighborhoods to be.

Speaker 3 (30:09):
Evacuated she.

Speaker 8 (30:10):
Says the biggest need in the community right now is.

Speaker 17 (30:13):
Financial what folks are facing now is the real financial
reality of rebuilding a home from the foundation. Up we
are battling with The insurance. Commissioner we are battling with.
Insurers anyone who has paid a premium into their policy

(30:34):
to protect them in situations like this is deserving of
having their full payout as quickly as, possible and that isn't.

Speaker 8 (30:43):
Happening according to The La County Permitting Progress, dashboard they've
received over one thousand applications to rebuild in fire zone
areas and eighty five building permits have been issued so.
Far forty three of those are for single family homes
and only one of those homes is in The. Palisades
the average weight time of fifty one. Days The Army
corps Of engineer says debris cleanup is months ahead of.

Speaker 18 (31:05):
Schedule we were thinking it would take about a, year
and now we. ARE i think WHEN i look at
both fires were now ninety three ninety four percent.

Speaker 8 (31:16):
Complete colonel Jose abashaw with The Army corps Of engineers
says they Removed debrie, fire, ash, asbestos and the foundation if,
necessary then hand over the land back to the. Owner he,
says making sure the soil is stable is an essential
part of their. Job what has been the biggest challenge
then in clearing these wildfire, zones especially in the more
hillside areas like The, Palisades so.

Speaker 18 (31:38):
You had it right. There you, know logistics is it
drives the entire, operation right and so you know the hillside,
properties especially in The palisade and the cliff side, properties
they have been really.

Speaker 8 (31:56):
Challenging and how does the speed of this wildfire recovery
differ from their wildfire recovery?

Speaker 18 (32:01):
Efforts, hey you, know this one has been unique from
a lot of different. Aspects we also have a really
huge industrial base to rely. On you, know we have
lots of potential contractors In california that can come and surge.
Assets so that has been a huge benefit. Here another
huge benefit has been just a partnership so between the,

(32:23):
county the, state federal government all working In, unison.

Speaker 8 (32:30):
Across town places like The Real inn And moonshadows Along
pch And. Malibu we're completely. Destroyed now six months, later
one sign of hope that things are moving, forward the
iconic Restaurant gladstone's has opened its ocean side deck for.

Speaker 2 (32:45):
Business we saw this public deck where everyone can come
and hang.

Speaker 1 (32:48):
Out and this is opening in the public all the.
Time you don't have to buy stuff from.

Speaker 2 (32:51):
Us you can come.

Speaker 6 (32:51):
Visit if you're visiting your property that's here and just
don't have a place to hang, on this is the.

Speaker 8 (32:56):
Spot both communities face a long road. Ahead recovery will take,
months even. Years The californians are no stranger to. Resilience
as the physical reconstruction moves slowly, forward the emotional scars.
Remain residents of The palisades In Alta dina are determined
to keep their communities in the, spotlight not just for
the next six, months but for years and generations to.

Speaker 17 (33:19):
Come this devastation has bonded us for. Sure but it's
been it is it's been, hard and we're strong.

Speaker 13 (33:26):
Community we know we're we're going to overcome, this but
BUT i think it's important for us to continue to
share the.

Speaker 2 (33:33):
Story that's Kfi's Heather brooker reporting and you've been listening
To Michael monks reports On Michael monks FROM Kfi. News
we've wrapped up another weekend together AND i will look
forward to being with you again next. Weekend you can

(33:53):
hear the show live Every saturday night at. Seven if
you want to send me a comment or a, question
find me on social. Media X Since graham TikTok, At
mike Monks, la M I C M o N k S.
La i'll be with you all week doing the news
here and appearing on your favorite, shows including the Special
Power hour On gary And. Shannon gary is still out

(34:13):
for another, week SO i will be on With shannon
from ten to Eleven monday Through. Friday so tune in
and help keep us on track because she is a bad,
influence but we have. Fun thanks again for joining. Us
we'll talk again soon right here ON KFI am six

Speaker 1 (34:27):
FOUR KFI am six forty on demand