(The video is the property of Gary Baum.)
People watching Palisades and Altadena residents after the January Fires wonder why people haven’t gone back to their standing homes. People also wonder why more people are not rebuilding.
One word. Insurance.
In Marina del Rey, there are many homeowners whose homes are still standing after the Palisades Fires but are unable to return because remediation has not been carried out.
One man explained at a morning meeting at the Hive that it cost about $200,000 to take out the sheetrock/walls to the studs, the insulation, the ceiling and the wood flooring. That material all had to be thrown away because of contamination after the Palisades Fire and then replaced. He didn’t want to wait any longer for insurance and paid outright for the costs. His family just wanted to go back to their home.
The Marquez resident said he was glad he did it, but when asked how much insurance paid, he said “less than $20,000.”
Another woman, nearly in tears, has tried to get the Fair Plan to pay for remediation on her Highlands home. She paid to have it tested, but when she spoke to someone at that FAIR plan this past week, she was chided because she was told she should have waited for their authorization— it’s already been 11 months since the fire.
She and her husband are seniors and have received no help, and don’t know where to turn. Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara and Governor Gavin Newsom have not made helping those impacted by fires a priority.
Another Palisadian said, “My home still looks like its January 8, frozen in toxic time. Christmas ornaments up, but I can’t touch it.”
Martin Hak wrote “My next-door neighbors in Castellamare are among the seniors ‘frozen in time’ with their standing homes. I’ve been supporting them closely throughout this ordeal with Fair Plan.
“Through the Pali Fire Insurance WhatsApp group, I’m connecting residents—without any referral fees—to attorneys focused on Fair Plan claim litigation (martin@palirising.org). FAIR Plan routinely denied remediation unless homeowners proved “permanent physical damage,” a policy ruled illegal by California courts. Insurers, including FAIR Plan and State Farm, often limit payouts, citing terms like “direct physical loss” or requiring “distinct, demonstrable and physical alteration” before covering smoke and toxin cleanup, leaving many wildfire survivors unable to get full recovery.
Eaton Fire Survivors Network (EFSN) will release new information about the toxic contamination found indoors after a “cleanup” on Friday.
Palisades resident Alissa Ashwood wrote, “They (EFSN) have previewed their data with the CDI (California Department of Insurance). So far the CDI has done nothing. Public Health department is fully silent. Advanced testing is showing so far, there are things a lot worse than lead and asbestos that can’t be ‘cleaned’ but must be removed and replaced.
“Many times, even lead and asbestos aren’t getting the right remediation,” Ashwood said. “The testing varies hugely with no standards (which is the industry tactic) with lots of room for false negatives and a false sense of security. Some of these homes are also full of bacteria that has blown in.”
For decades, Californians have paid premiums faithfully. A New York Times investigation click here revealed that in 2023, Commissioner Lara struck a secret deal with insurers — granting them regulatory favors while incentivizing them to dump tens of thousands of policyholders.
According to the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, which is asking for the resignation of Commissioner Lara, about 70 percent of the insured survivors of the Palisades/Eaton fires report delays and denials blocking their recovery.
Statistics say that standing homes are six times more likely to get claims denied and are fighting with insurance companies to acknowledge coverage.
The most impacted homes are uninhabitable without remediation, and even though people have insurance, they are not receiving payouts.
EFSN click here writes, “Families now are trapped in two insurance crises — both enabled by Lara. 1. We can’t buy or renew coverage, and 2. We can’t access the benefits we’ve already paid for in full.
Eleven months after the fire, 8 out of 10 people remain displaced and according to the nonprofit, Department of Angels, 61% of L.A. fire survivors will run out of housing coverage in the coming months.
On Thursday, November 6, at 9:30 a.m., The Eaton Fire Survivors Network will hold a press conference at the Good Neighbor Bar in Altadena. “If you’ve been denied or delayed, your story matters,” EFSN writes. “When we speak out together, we push state leaders to act.”
RSVP to attend: click here.
A community meeting will be held by EFSN from 7 to 8 p.m. on November 6 via Zoom. To register, click here.