Nineteen people died during the Eaton Fire in January. All but one of them lived in neighborhoods west of Lake Avenue in Altadena. The 19th person lived just east of that border. It’s been reported that evacuation warnings were not issued in that neighborhood until early morning when the fire was already approaching people’s doorsteps. Now, a new investigation from the Los Angeles Times finds there was only one LA County Fire truck present at 3:08 AM as the flames swept into west Altadena. Reporter Rebecca Ellis looked into what happened and why. She joins host Kate Cagle to talk about it.Guests: Rebecca Ellis, LA Times Reporter
Victoria Knapp, Altadena resident and Chair of the Altadena Town CouncilRebecca’s story: A Times investigation: As west Altadena burned, L.A. County fire trucks stayed elsewhere: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-07-23/as-west-altadena-burned-county-fire-trucks-stayed-elsewhere

As the neighborhoods hit hardest by the Palisades and Eaton Fires rebuild, modern building codes will largely ensure that houses and other structures will be more resilient. But what else needs to be done across these communities to make sure the next disaster isn’t as devastating? How do we rebuild in a way that makes the neighborhoods whole again and also safer, stronger, and less vulnerable? Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath has some thoughts. Her district runs from Santa Monica to Sylmar and includes the Pacific Palisades, Malibu and nearby unincorporated areas like Sunset Mesa, which all together lost nearly 7,000 structures in the Palisades Fire.In conjunction with the University of California, Los Angeles, and a panel of area experts, Supervisor Horvath has put together the Blue Ribbon Commission on Climate Action and Fire Safe Recovery, which is full of proposals for updating the water infrastructure and alert systems in these fire prone areas, among other things, as well as creating a Rebuilding Authority to serve as a county-wide one-stop shop for guidance and resources on rebuilding.Supervisor Horvath joins host Kate Cagle to talk about the Commission and about the county response on January 7th and what’s being learned to ensure this level of devastation doesn’t occur again.We also hear from Allison Horldorff Polhill, a resident in the Pacific Palisades who lost her home on January 7.

Guests:
LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath
Allison Horldorff Polhill, Pacific Palisades Resident and Senior Advisor and District Director at Los Angeles Unified School DistrictBlue Ribbon Commission: https://lindseyhorvath.lacounty.gov/blue-ribbon-commission/
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-05-07/expert-commission-los-angeles-fires
Mayor Karen Bass Executive Order to Restrict SB 9 in the Pacific Palisades: https://mayor.lacity.gov/news/mayor-bass-issues-emergency-executive-order-prohibit-sb-9-applications-within-palisades-burn
LA Times: After outcry, L.A. restricts duplexes in Pacific Palisades: https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2025-07-30/after-outcry-l-a-restricts-duplexes-in-pacific-palisades
LA Times: Conspiracy theories thwart rebuilding plan after L.A. County wildfires
https://www.latimes.com/homeless-housing/story/2025-07-17/affordable-housing-palisades-authority-failure
Santa Monica Daily Press: Ben Allen puts wildfire rebuilding bill on hold after mixed reaction in Assembly hearing
https://smdp.com/government-politics-2/ben-allen-puts-wildfire-rebuilding-bill-on-hold-after-mixed-reaction-in-assembly-hearing/

Of the areas in Southern California most prone to catching fire, Malibu is probably number one. It was hit by two fires last winter – the Franklin Fire, which forced evacuations from Pepperdine University, and January’s Palisades Fire, which burned all the way to the water, affecting about one-third of the town’s 20 square miles. On top of that, many residents are still rebuilding after the Woolsey fire in 2018 so emotions still remain pretty raw nearly seven months after the Palisades fire.

So where does Malibu go from here? Building in Malibu has its challenges with its hilly terrain and proximity to the Pacific. Can it rebuild in a sustainable way that preserves what’s left of Malibu’s bohemian past, keep out developers, and also better prepare the city for the next fire that will undoubtedly come? We hear from two LA locals, including long time LA Times reporter Jim Rainey, who lost their family homes. Plus we’ll talk to Yolanda Bundy, who is helping oversee fire recovery.

Guests:
LA Times reporter Jim Rainey
Yolanda Bundy, Director, Malibu’s Community Development Department
Wade Major, film critic for LAist’s Air Talk and resident of Malibu