The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has signed off on a new game plan to deal with hazardous, overgrown vegetation on fire-scarred residential lots in Altadena and the unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains. Those lots, remnants of the Eaton and Palisades fires, have turned into magnets for illegal dumping, vermin and renewed wildfire danger as rebuilding drags. County leaders say the strategy is meant to put neighbors first, leaning on outreach and assistance before cracking down with enforcement.
The motion, introduced by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey P. Horvath, orders the Director of Public Works and several county departments to team up with the Disaster Recovery Rebuild Authority and deliver written recommendations and pilot options within 30 days, according to the Board agenda. The directive emphasizes voluntary compliance, defensible-space help and community outreach ahead of penalties, and asks staff to spell out quick actions, funding options and any legal or policy tweaks needed for a long-term wildfire risk reduction plan.
“I want county resources working on this problem now, before another fire season puts more lives and property at risk,” Supervisor Kathryn Barger said. Supervisor Lindsey Horvath added that the county will use “every tool available to reduce wildfire risk and keep neighborhoods safe,” according to the Santa Monica Daily Press. The motion names Public Works, the Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures, the Fire Department and the Chief Sustainability Office as lead partners, and supervisors stressed that technical vegetation work has to move in step with homeowner support so stalled rebuilds do not drag on even longer.
Nature-based tools and pilot programs
Supervisors also want staff to look at nature-based tactics such as targeted grazing, prescribed burns and other ecological fuel reduction methods already in use in nearby mountain parklands. The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority recently announced a prescribed plot burn in the Santa Monica Mountains, and grazing herds have been deployed on steep slopes to chew through invasive brush, a strategy highlighted in local coverage of a goat fire brigade.
Why the move matters
The Eaton and Palisades fires leveled thousands of structures in January 2025, according to Cal Fire incident data. Community tracking shows that of nearly 6,000 Altadena residential properties significantly damaged within the Eaton Fire footprint, only 23 had fully rebuilt by December 2025, based on a Catalyst California dashboard reported by Pasadena Now. That sluggish recovery has left a patchwork of vacant, overgrown lots that county officials now say must be dealt with before the next high-risk fire season closes in.
Help for homeowners and next steps
The motion puts a heavy emphasis on helping property owners first, with outreach, defensible-space assistance and links to permitting resources, instead of jumping straight to fines. Los Angeles County runs one-stop permit centers and rebuild programs that walk owners through permits, inspections and possible funding. County recovery pages highlight the Altadena One-Stop Permit Center and related services meant to guide residents through rebuilding and wildfire mitigation, according to Los Angeles County Recovers.
Under the motion, departments must return to the board in writing within 30 days with recommendations on immediate next steps, potential funding streams, operational and legal issues, and any policy changes needed to keep vegetation in check over the long haul, per the Board agenda. Supervisors say the tight deadline is meant to force quick, realistic pilot projects while keeping the broader recovery moving, and community groups in Altadena and the surrounding mountain neighborhoods are watching closely to see whether the county sticks to its outreach-first promises.
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