Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is making headlines again by demonstrating the robust progress the city has made in the aftermath of the Palisades fires, clearing debris at a pace said to be unprecedented in the state's history. More than 1,000 properties have now been cleared of debris, marking a significant milestone in the area's rebuilding efforts, according to a recent update on the Mayor's official website.
The removal process, conducted with the help of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, began just 35 days post-blaze, a timeline that cuts the response to the 2018 Woolsey Fire in half, signaling an advancement in the city's disaster readiness and recovery capabilities, paired with an evident surge in urgency. Following the fire's outbreak, Mayor Bass visited construction sites and observed progress firsthand. 31 permits have been issued, with hundreds more currently under review, and it should be noted that the first permit was issued 57 days after the fire, which is a marked improvement from prior recovery efforts after similar catastrophes.
Mayor Bass spoke on the unwavering dedication to swiftly return displaced families to their homes and reignite the local economy. “We’re working every day to expedite the process to get families home and businesses reopened,” she explained, praising partners such as the Army Corps for their role in removing the staggering 648,000 tons of debris. The rapid clearance rate is averaging 55 sites per day.
To further streamline the recovery, Mayor Bass has taken executive actions, one such order establishes LA's first plan check Self-Certification pilot program, where qualified architects can certify their plans comply with state residential code, circumventing the traditional plan check process, but with buildings still subject to inspections for code compliance. Meanwhile, another order directs City departments to suspend the collection of certain fees until the City Council can adopt an amendment to waive these fees. Moreover, an executive directive is pushing to utilize Artificial Intelligence to cut down on plan review times.
