President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing federal agencies to take control of the rebuilding process in Los Angeles County areas devastated by last year’s wildfires, aiming to speed up recovery by bypassing local and state permitting rules. The order, announced Tuesday (January 28), targets neighborhoods in the Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon that lost nearly 40,000 acres of homes and businesses to the fires.
The order instructs the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Small Business Administration (SBA) to override city and county permitting requirements for properties rebuilt using federal disaster relief funds. Builders would be allowed to self-certify that they comply with health, safety, and building standards, reducing delays linked to traditional permitting processes.
Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have touted their own efforts to speed up recovery, including emergency orders waiving some requirements and permitting at rates three times faster than before the fires. Still, significant obstacles remain, such as insurance delays, high construction costs, and labor shortages.