Sunday, March 15, 2026

La Viña Families Begin Rebuilding Together After Eaton Fire

By EDDIE RIVERA

Left to right: Brookfield Residential CEO Adrian Foley, Brookfield Residential Senior Vice President Taylor McInnis, homeowners Richard and Julie Kang and daughter, Los Angeles County Director of Recovery Anish Saraiya. [Photo by Gary Leonard.]

Six Altadena homeowners among first participants in Builders Alliance initiative helping wildfire survivors rebuild

Six families from Altadena’s La Viña neighborhood who lost their homes in last year’s Eaton Fire have begun rebuilding together, moving forward on a coordinated construction effort designed to simplify the rebuilding process.

Working with Brookfield Residential, the homeowners are rebuilding simultaneously, using pre-designed home plans matched to their homesites. Early trenching and site preparation are now underway for all six properties, and the families expect to return to their rebuilt homes in fall 2026.

The La Viña homeowners are also among the first participants in the Builders Alliance, a not-for-profit initiative created in response to the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires. The alliance brings together homebuilders who are working collaboratively, to help fire survivors rebuild more efficiently while reducing both time and cost.

A central component of the program is a free online portal that allows homeowners to explore rebuilding options based on their specific property. The platform, powered by prop-tech company Canibuild, digitally maps residential parcels across the Eaton and Palisades fire areas. By entering their address, property owners can view home designs compatible with their lot based on site conditions and zoning requirements, along with estimated construction costs and timelines.

Users can then filter design options by features such as square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, and price. Builders participating in the alliance offer both pre-approved home plans intended to speed the permitting process, and fully custom homes designs.

Brookfield Residential President and Chief Executive Officer Adrian Foley co-founded the Builders Alliance and helped develop the portal.

“We’re proud to cooperate with the other founders of the Builders Alliance and to demonstrate how innovative technology can support families as they rebuild and regain stability,” Foley said. “As homebuilders, our resources and expertise are essential to this effort, and with that comes a responsibility to help.”

La Viña is a gated neighborhood of approximately 272 homes developed by Brookfield Residential between 1997 and 2003. The Eaton Fire destroyed 52 homes in the community.

The La Viña effort is unfolding amid a broader recovery across Altadena following the January 2025 fire. The Eaton Fire destroyed roughly 9,400 structures. Los Angeles County officials have issued about 1,200 rebuilding permits in the burn area, with roughly 560 homes currently under construction and only a small number fully rebuilt so far, according to county recovery data and regional reporting.

Among the residents rebuilding through the coordinated effort is La Viña homeowner Kristin Bertell.

“Almost immediately after the fires, the Brookfield Residential team reached out to help, with members of their executive team,” Bertell said. “We feel a sense of pride and relief that our neighborhood is coming back to life.”

Joining Bertell in rebuilding are Richard Kang and four other La Viña homeowners who live near one another in the neighborhood, and began reconstruction at the same time.