Trump Executive Order Seeks to Override California Permits and Let Builders Self‑Certify to Speed Los Angeles Wildfire Rebuild
President Trump signed an executive order directing FEMA and the SBA to issue regulations that would preempt California and Los Angeles permitting rules and allow builders to self‑certify compliance with health, safety and building standards to speed reconstruction of homes destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades wildfires. The action touched off a feud over progress and responsibility — the fires killed 31 people and destroyed roughly 13,000–16,000 structures, federal officials say fewer than 15% of homes have approvals and only a handful rebuilt, while Gov. Newsom and Mayor Bass counter that thousands of permits and hundreds of rebuilds or projects are underway and point to insurance disputes and FEMA funding delays as the main bottlenecks.
📌 Key Facts
- The 2025 Eaton and Palisades wildfires together killed 31 people and destroyed more than 16,000 structures (CBS breakdown: Eaton ~9,413 buildings destroyed; Palisades ~6,833), burning tens of thousands of acres in Los Angeles County.
- Insured losses are enormous: Swiss Re estimates the Eaton and Palisades fires produced about $40 billion in insured losses, among the costliest wildfires globally.
- President Trump signed an executive order directing FEMA and the SBA to issue regulations that would preempt California and Los Angeles permitting rules for homes destroyed in the wildfires and allow builders to self‑certify compliance with health, safety and building standards to speed rebuilding; the White House framed the move as cutting 'unnecessary, duplicative, or obstructive' permitting requirements.
- Federal and SBA officials publicly criticized the pace of recovery—SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler called the situation 'a national disgrace,' saying 'virtually zero' survivors have rebuilt despite $3.2 billion in SBA loans—and the administration signaled it wants to take over permitting to accelerate permits to homeowners.
- Local and state leaders pushed back: Gov. Gavin Newsom said more than 1,600 rebuilding permits have been issued in Los Angeles and urged Trump to approve California’s $33.9 billion disaster‑aid request; Mayor Karen Bass called the executive order a 'political stunt,' said many Palisades permits are now approved faster locally, and urged faster FEMA reimbursements and pressure on insurers and banks.
- Rebuilding remains slow and counts vary by source: reported permits issued range from roughly 1,600 to 2,631 across LA, but all sources say very few homes are fully rebuilt (fewer than a dozen reported) while roughly 900 (or, by one account, fewer than 1,000) homes are under construction; SBA and others report under 15% of destroyed homes have received necessary approvals in some areas like the Palisades.
- Stakeholders cite multiple bottlenecks: survivors and some officials blame insurance delays ('insurance purgatory'), cuts to FEMA staff/funding and inadequate federal response; LA County planning officials say permitting has been streamlined and many fees waived and argue insurance disputes—not local turnaround times—are the main obstacle; many State Farm policyholders did not receive major payouts until around November 2025 after county oversight.
- Legal and accountability battles are ongoing: Southern California Edison has filed lawsuits alleging missteps by water agencies and Southern California Gas Company (which is reviewing the complaint), Pasadena has rejected Edison’s claims, Edison faces hundreds of other suits plus a DOJ case, survivors have protested demanding accountability (including allegations crews were told to 'stand down'), and the LAFD says it has implemented about 74% of Palisades after‑action recommendations (including drones with thermal imaging and revised decision guidelines).
- Gov. Newsom declared a formal day of remembrance and ordered flags at half‑staff, and said he has signed 27 executive orders aimed at expediting rebuilding and supporting displaced residents and businesses.
🔬 Explanations (3)
Deeper context and explanatory frameworks for understanding this story
Phenomenon: Softening of after-action reports in fire departments to reduce criticism of leadership
Explanation: Institutional culture in emergency services organizations incentivizes protecting leadership and maintaining internal morale by softening language in reports to avoid blame and potential career repercussions
Evidence: Fire service analyses indicate that after-action reviews are often soft-pedaled to prevent hurt feelings or deflection of blame, leading to less candid assessments and hindering learning from incidents
Alternative view: Legal concerns over liability and lawsuits prompting cautious language in official reports
💡 Complicates the narrative by framing the editing as a widespread systemic practice in emergency services rather than an isolated incident of misconduct
Phenomenon: Inadequate mop-up procedures leading to wildfire reignition
Explanation: Outdated procedures and premature withdrawal of resources, exacerbated by climate change increasing the risk of smoldering embers in drier conditions and resource constraints from budget limitations
Evidence: Climate change contributes to longer fire seasons and higher risks of reignition, while audits reveal insufficient utility efforts in vegetation management and procedural shortcomings in post-fire verification
Alternative view: Regulatory delays in forest management and brush clearance due to environmental policies hindering proactive fire prevention
💡 Challenges the implicit narrative of simple human error by highlighting interacting systemic factors like climate and policy failures that amplify risks
Phenomenon: Public backlash against California officials following wildfire disasters
Explanation: Perceived systemic failures in infrastructure and preparedness, such as inadequate water management and resource allocation, fueling distrust amplified by political polarization and media scrutiny
Evidence: Criticism centers on weak water pressure from mismanaged urban systems and ignored warnings on fire prevention, leading to accusations of misplaced priorities in governance
Alternative view: Partisan narratives blaming diversity initiatives or climate policies rather than governance issues
💡 Complicates typical coverage by shifting focus from individual blame to underlying institutional and policy deficiencies in disaster management
📰 Source Timeline (9)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- PBS piece confirms the order was signed Friday and announced Tuesday, explicitly framed by the White House as cutting 'unnecessary, duplicative, or obstructive' permitting requirements.
- It specifies that FEMA and SBA are directed to issue regulations that would preempt state and local permitting rules and allow builders to self‑certify compliance with substantive health, safety and building standards.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom says more than 1,600 rebuilding permits have already been issued in Los Angeles, calls the order akin to 'an executive order to rebuild Mars,' and again presses Trump to approve California’s $33.9 billion disaster‑aid request.
- Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass calls the move a 'political stunt,' says Pacific Palisades rebuild permits are being approved in half the pre‑fire time with 70% of clearances no longer required, and urges Trump instead to speed FEMA reimbursements and pressure insurers and banks.
- The article updates rebuilding progress figures: fewer than a dozen homes rebuilt in Los Angeles County as of Jan. 7, about 900 under construction, and reiterates that the Palisades and Eaton fires killed 31 people and destroyed about 13,000 homes.
- President Trump signed an executive order directing SBA and FEMA to issue regulations that override California and Los Angeles permitting requirements for homes destroyed in the LA wildfires.
- The order would allow builders to self‑certify compliance with health and safety standards instead of going through normal local permitting processes.
- SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler publicly called California’s and LA’s wildfire recovery a "national disgrace" and claimed "virtually zero" survivors have been able to rebuild despite $3.2 billion in SBA loans.
- SBA now says less than 15% of destroyed homes have received necessary approvals to rebuild and only seven structures have been constructed in LA County since the fires.
- Trump said he wants to "take over the city and state" permitting process to "just give the people their permits" and praised EPA chief Lee Zeldin’s earlier cleanup work at the burn sites.
- Southern California Edison has filed cross‑complaints in Los Angeles Superior Court against Los Angeles County, Pasadena Water and Power and five other water agencies, alleging they failed to send timely evacuation warnings and did not provide enough water to fight the Eaton Fire.
- SoCal Edison has also filed a separate complaint against Southern California Gas Company, alleging SoCalGas waited four days after ignition to begin widespread gas shutoffs and that gas leaks and gas‑fed fires exacerbated the blaze.
- Pasadena officials publicly rejected Edison’s claims and reiterated their belief that the utility’s own equipment caused the fire, while SoCalGas said it is reviewing the filing and will respond in court.
- The article notes SoCal Edison already faces 998 lawsuits from fire victims, insurers and government entities, plus a U.S. Department of Justice suit over damage to National Forest land, underscoring the scale of its exposure.
- Confirms that many State Farm policyholders in the Los Angeles fire zone did not receive significant claim checks until around November 2025, after LA County publicly announced an investigation into the company’s handling of Eaton and Palisades fire claims.
- Provides a specific homeowner example (Mark Johnson) who went nine months without a payout and nearly accepted a lower settlement "just to move forward," underscoring the financial strain of prolonged claim disputes.
- Cites Swiss Re Institute’s estimate putting insured losses from the Eaton and Palisades fires at about $40 billion, calling them the most expensive wildfires globally, which helps explain insurers’ incentives to slow or contest payments.
- Includes Rep. John Garamendi’s on‑the‑record criticism that the "first commandment of the insurance industry is to pay as little, as late as possible," and notes a growing national pattern of rising premiums and harder‑to‑obtain coverage as climate risk mounts.
- Confirms updated destruction figures in narrative form: the Palisades fire burned for 31 days, scorched 37 square miles and destroyed more than 6,000 structures, while the Eaton Fire in Altadena destroyed more than 9,000 buildings, for a total of over 16,000 buildings and 31 deaths across the two fires.
- Cites a December Los Angeles Times analysis finding that fewer than 14% of homes destroyed in the Palisades have received permits to rebuild one year later, quantifying the sluggish pace of reconstruction.
- Provides on‑the‑ground detail about contamination—smoke, ash and asbestos leaving even some standing homes unlivable—and quotes residents describing ongoing displacement and health concerns.
- Documents visible grassroots backlash in the Palisades, including protest signs calling for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’s resignation posted on bulldozed lawns at the anniversary.
- Adds human‑interest accounts of survivors like Nicole Gyarmathy and environmental lawyer Ken Ehrlich, who describe emotional trauma, small‑scale restoration efforts (replanting) and cautious hope tied to finally seeing construction equipment on their lots.
- On Jan. 7, 2026 Palisades Fire survivors held a 'They let us burn' rally in Pacific Palisades demanding accountability from Gov. Gavin Newsom, LA Mayor Karen Bass, and fire officials over the 2025 blaze.
- Rally organizer and fire victim Jeremy Padawer said residents lacked water, reservoirs, personnel and effective emergency response as the fire spread, and called for 'accountable' and 'transparent' leadership and settlement with the community.
- LA City Councilmember Traci Park, speaking at the rally, said Los Angeles was 'not well prepared' for the disaster and that 'all of the systems that we desperately needed to work on that day in history failed around' residents.
- Multiple residents alleged firefighters were told to 'stand down' and that frontline crews lacked basic resources such as water, while some residents stayed in the evacuation zone to defend homes themselves.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom declared Wednesday a formal day of remembrance for the Los Angeles fires and ordered flags at all California state buildings flown at half‑staff.
- The article quantifies the 2025 disaster: 37,908 acres burned, 31 deaths (19 in the Eaton Fire, 12 in the Palisades Fire), 9,413 buildings destroyed in the Eaton Fire and 6,833 structures destroyed in the Palisades Fire, making them the state’s second- and third‑most destructive fires.
- Newsom’s proclamation notes he has signed 27 executive orders to expedite rebuilding and support displaced residents and businesses, and pledges ongoing support.
- LAFD Chief Jaime Moore told fire commissioners that the department has implemented 74% of the Palisades Fire after‑action report recommendations, including adopting drones with thermal imaging and revising high‑fire‑risk decision‑making guidelines.
- The piece reports 2,631 construction permits have been issued across LA County since the fires, indicating the current pace of physical rebuilding.
- It confirms former LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley was demoted after the fires and has filed a legal claim against the city, while Moore vows such a failure will not recur under his leadership.
- Confirms that one year after the Eaton and Palisades fires, fewer than 1,000 buildings are actually under construction out of more than 16,000 structures destroyed.
- Reports that on at least one Altadena block burned in the Eaton Fire, about two‑thirds of lots remain empty despite debris removal, with some owners selling rather than rebuilding.
- L.A. County planning director Amy Bodek says the county has streamlined permitting and waived many fees and argues that the main bottleneck is 'insurance purgatory,' not county or city turnaround times.
- Disaster‑recovery expert Julia Stein, working with L.A. County’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire Safe Recovery, highlights that the commission’s call for a single rebuilding authority stalled in the California legislature but there is growing pressure to revive it.
- Fire survivors criticize what they see as an inadequate FEMA response, which they attribute in part to Trump‑era funding and staffing cuts at the agency.