Friday, February 21, 2025

LA Building Industry Mobilizes to Speed Wildfire Recovery

[Photo credit: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Headquarters]

Industry professionals collaborate on strategies to rebuild communities devastated by the Eaton and Palisades Fires

More than 800 architects, engineers, designers, contractors, and developers gathered at a two-day summit on February 13 and 14 to accelerate the rebuilding of communities devastated by recent wildfires. The initiative, launched by Los Angeles County, aims to fast-track reconstruction while enhancing resilience against future disasters.

“I’m thrilled this convening took place because there is a lot of rebuilding work ahead of us and we need to work smart,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger.

“We need every voice at the table so our County can facilitate an efficient and timely recovery… This isn’t just about rebuilding structures—it’s about restoring whole communities so that families have a place to call home and businesses can re-open and thrive.”

The Rebuilding Together summit, hosted by Los Angeles County Public Works, originally planned as a single-day event, expanded to accommodate overwhelming interest from industry professionals.

The sold-out workshop focused on four key areas: permit streamlining to reduce delays and simplify approvals, innovative construction approaches for rapid and cost-efficient rebuilding, enhanced fire-resistant building standards, and expanded contracting opportunities for local industry professionals.

Barger emphasized the critical role of private industry expertise.

“I encourage professionals from the rebuilding community to connect with our County’s Public Works Department. We value and need the expertise, agility, and scalability of private industry,” she stated.

The County has established a Virtual Workshop for ongoing industry feedback.

“Los Angeles County remains committed to working alongside industry professionals and local communities to refine and improve rebuilding efforts,” Barger added. “I encourage industry professionals to view the Virtual Workshop where feedback can be provided on key topics, including permit streamlining, innovative housing, and resilient design. Your input is important and matters.”

Additional Los Angeles County wildfire resources and updates can be found at Recovery.LACounty.gov.