Wednesday, June 10, 2026

L.A. County Targets Overgrown Lots in Altadena Burn Zone Before Fire Season

Supervisors order a 30-day plan to manage vegetation and brush on thousands of stalled rebuilding sites in Altadena and the Santa Monica Mountains

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday unanimously approved a motion directing County departments to develop a coordinated strategy to address hazardous vegetation and brush conditions on fire-impacted residential properties in Altadena and the unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains, with departments required to return to the Board within 30 days with recommendations.

The motion, authored by Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey P. Horvath, responds to thousands of affected properties that have remained in various stages of debris removal, insurance resolution and rebuilding since the January 2025 Eaton and Palisades Fires, where overgrown vegetation now poses renewed wildfire risk as another fire season approaches. The directive prioritizes voluntary compliance, community outreach and direct assistance to property owners over punitive enforcement, with education, defensible-space assistance and non-punitive mitigation identified as preferred first steps.

Altadena bore the heaviest losses of the Eaton Fire, which destroyed 9,418 structures, damaged 1,071 more and killed 19 people, according to Cal Fire. Seventeen months later, only 23 of nearly 6,000 significantly damaged Altadena residential properties had completed all rebuilding and repairs as of December 2025, according to a Catalyst California analysis of County Assessor and permitting data.

According to the supervisors’ announcement, vegetation on many of those properties has grown unchecked because of prolonged vacancy, stalled timelines, ownership uncertainty or financial hardship — increasing wildfire risk and contributing to illegal dumping, vermin infestations, impaired sightlines and broader quality-of-life concerns for neighboring residents.

“These communities are working hard to rebuild, and overgrown lots pose a real threat to that progress and to the neighbors living right next door,” Barger, who represents Altadena as part of her 5th District, said in a statement released after the vote. “I want County resources working on this problem now, before another fire season puts more lives and property at risk.”

The motion directs the Departments of Public Works, Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures, Fire and the Chief Sustainability Office — along with the Los Angeles County Disaster Recovery Rebuild Authority and other relevant departments — to develop a comprehensive, collaborative approach.

Horvath, whose 3rd District includes the unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains and Sunset Mesa, said the County would draw on multiple tools.

“Los Angeles County is committed to using every tool available to reduce wildfire risk and keep neighborhoods safe — from fuel reduction and ecological restoration to stronger partnerships with community organizations,” Horvath said in the statement. “We are focused on protecting lives and property, supporting residents as they recover, and building long-term resilience against the growing threat of wildfires.”

Departments must evaluate options that are environmentally responsible and sensitive to the challenges facing fire survivors. Among the innovative techniques to be examined are targeted grazing and other nature-based vegetation management. Pilot programs in Altadena and the unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains, including Sunset Mesa, are among the approaches identified for exploration.

Tuesday’s vote builds on a Barger-Horvath motion the Board approved in February 2026 establishing a Disaster Recovery Rebuild Authority for Altadena and the unincorporated Santa Monica Mountains. Barger said at the time the County was taking on more than $2 billion in infrastructure repairs in Altadena alone.

Departments are due back to the Board by early July with recommendations covering immediate actions, potential funding sources, legal and operational considerations and any policy changes needed to support a long-term wildfire risk-reduction strategy.