Here are answers to the most frequently asked questions connected to the Palisades Recovery. For FAQs connected specifically to rebuilding and permitting, visit our Rebuilding page.

When will debris clearing in the Pacific Palisades be completed?

99.9% of debris has been removed from the Palisades. This was predominantly completed by the USACE PPDR program.  100% of the government-led debris removal is complete and 99.6 % of independent debris removal is complete. The remaining debris removal in the Palisades is centered around three remaining parcels with fire debris.  Debris removal is actively underway for the Palisades Bowl. The Department of Building and Safety is working on strategies for the other two sites (556 Via De La Paz, 1601 San Onofre).

Regarding contamination, what is the current status of soil, stormwater and potable water, monitoring and remediation, and integration with infrastructure sequencing?

Under Phase I and II of the federal government-led debris removal, the US EPA and USACE / FEMA did consider contamination, but city-wide sampling was not completed during this effort.  Air monitoring was completed during the debris removal phases by the USACE and SCAQMD.  LA County did soil, water, air, and blood testing and those results can be found on their website. ph-lacounty.hub.arcgis.com/pages/post-fire-assessment-home

When can all the roads realistically get repaired?

Roadway repairs are a top priority and will follow critical infrastructure work like utility upgrades. As shown in the construction sequencing approach, deep utilities such as storm drain, sewer, water, gas, and major electrical infrastructure should be installed first, followed by shallow utilities like telecom, street lighting, and traffic systems. Because utility work should occur before pavement restoration, and joint trenching opportunities are being used to minimize repeated excavation, permanent road repairs and final asphalt paving occur near the end of the construction sequence.  We do this to be efficient: if we pave a road and a utility company immediately cuts into it, that's a waste of time and public funds, and the repeated patching weakens the road. Sequencing the work ensures that once a road is repaired, the fix is durable and lasts a long time.

Do the AECOM reports recommend City street sweeping?

The documents do not evaluate street sweeping. Street sweeping would be a case-by-case requirement for public and private construction. The City is maintaining a careful approach to protect public health and safety. There will be an announcement when sweeping can safely resume.

What is the total capital requirement by tier included in the Infrastructure Restoration report?

The Infrastructure Restoration report does not break down capital requirements by Tier (Tier 1, Tier 2, or Tier 3), since the tiers are intended to reflect project prioritization and sequencing rather than funding allocation. Instead, the document provides overall capital cost estimates by project category, which summarize total project costs by infrastructure type and project identification source. The City will continue pursuing and securing funding sources as recovery and reconstruction efforts move forward.

What rebuild rate assumptions drive infrastructure sizing?

The Logistics, Traffic, Parking and Communications report modeled rebuild intensity using permit-based scenarios — 50, 500, and 1,000 simultaneous active construction sites — to stress-test mobility, lane management, and curb operations. In this context, an “active site” represents a home that is under active construction at a given time, since traffic impacts are driven by the number of homes being built concurrently, not the total number ultimately rebuilt.

The Infrastructure Restoration report does not assume a fixed rebuild rate, since private property reconstruction occurs independently and on variable timelines. Instead, infrastructure is sized to restore full pre-fire service capacity and ensure systems are ready to support rebuilding as it occurs. Planning is driven by service restoration, resilience upgrades, and coordinated sequencing with anticipated reconstruction to prevent infrastructure from becoming a constraint to recovery.

The community has been told by LADWP that the Gantt Charts starting on pg. 63 of the Infrastructure Restoration report is not accurate.  When will the community anticipate the updated realistic schedule?

The schedule in the Infrastructure Restoration report was based on information provided through October 1.  AECOM will be working with City departments to update the overall baseline schedule.  This will consider the updated LADWP master schedule. 

Is the city willing to get behind initiatives that would be considered natural infrastructure?

Natural infrastructure actions in the Wildfire Resilience Planning report include restoring native vegetation, creating community-scale defensible space and green buffers, building roadside treatments with habitat-sensitive practices, and using nature-based slope/watershed stabilization. These efforts would be prioritized for life safety and feasibility and would be advanced through interagency partnerships and grants.

Would the city add Red Flag Day "no parking" in Palisades?

The City has had a Red Flag Day restriction program since 2006; the report offers operational options to move from temporary restrictions to permanent, but both have trade-offs. 

How do the AECOM reports influence the likelihood of formation of a climate resiliency district?

A Climate Resilience District is a type of funding initiative and was not in the scope of work for the AECOM reports. 

Some of our community members have septic systems from prior to the fire and are required to pay to connect to the City sewer system to receive approved permits.  Where are those issues addressed in the AECOM reports?  

The Infrastructure Restoration report recognizes that a number of properties in Pacific Palisades rely on septic systems, and that approximately 139 septic systems within the burn area were impacted by the fire. The report notes that rebuilding creates an opportunity to evaluate septic-to-sewer conversions where feasible, and that LASAN is currently evaluating those opportunities and associated challenges during the rebuilding period.      

With the constrained road network in Pacific Palisades and limited egress routes creating evacuation bottlenecks, would densification of commercial corridors stress evacuation routes further?

The AECOM reports do not evaluate or recommend land-use decisions (such as whether to densify commercial areas). Instead, the Wildfire Resilience Planning report focuses on strategies the City may consider to protect and improve evacuation performance regardless of future development patterns. If densification is considered in the future, the report’s approach suggests pairing it with project-level traffic and evacuation analyses and conditions of approval that safeguard evacuation operations.

How would Chautauqua be widened with its steep terrain?

Within the AECOM reports, there are no recommendations, capital projects, or policy proposals to physically widen streets in Pacific Palisades. The report explicitly states that the Palisades corridor is physically constrained and that capacity expansion is “largely unattainable” due to terrain, cost, and right-of-way limits. 

Is there any consideration of consolidated community dumpsters and porta-potties to avoid sidewalk congestion?

The Logistics, Traffic, Parking, and Communications report proposes multiple official staging areas—such as Temescal Canyon Park and the Palisades Recreation Center—that function as multi-purpose logistics hubs. These staging areas are proposed to include portable toilets and sanitation facilities for workers. 

How is the City going to widen streets to meet the safety goals?  

The AECOM reports acknowledge that physical widening of the curb-to-curb width is not feasible for many streets in Pacific Palisades. The reports considers alternate options, such as restrictions for on-street parking, that provide functional increases to street widths without altering property boundaries.

Will a one-way system and/or more limited street parking be considered for areas with narrow streets?

Parking restrictions are considered in the Wildfire Resilience Planning report.

How do the AECOM reports address build scheduling?

The reports do not address the scheduling of individual residential rebuilding, since home reconstruction is ultimately led by private property owners. What the reports do is ensure that City infrastructure restoration supports and does not delay residential rebuilding. The reports focuses on providing safe street access, restoring utility service availability, and coordinating infrastructure work so rebuilding homes can proceed without repeated disruptions from future excavation or utility work. Infrastructure sequencing and phased restoration are designed specifically to align with housing reconstruction and permitting timelines as rebuilding progresses

Did any of these reports consider additional density on commercial corridors and its impact on infrastructure if the City only restores to pre-fire density?

The primary objective of the Infrastructure Restoration report is to restore infrastructure systems to reliable operating conditions so rebuilding can proceed safely and efficiently. However, the report does not simply assume a return to pre-fire conditions. As part of the analysis, the report also identifies opportunities for system upgrades and resilience improvements, including water, sewer, power, and corridor improvements that can support future needs where projects are already planned or feasible. At the same time, decisions related to future land use intensity or additional commercial density are guided through the City’s planning and land use processes rather than this infrastructure restoration effort.

What are the specific methods and enforcement mechanisms to achieve the recommendations in the Logistics, Traffic, Parking and Communications report?

The AECOM report provides recommendations that are actionable methods and clear enforcement mechanisms to ensure that logistics, traffic, parking, and curb-management recommendations are actually carried out. These are embedded across lane-closure management, logistics scheduling, parking controls, monitoring tools, and compliance procedures. The report does not rely on voluntary compliance alone. It proposes:

-Explicit methods (standard plans, staging sites, lane-closure workflows, consolidation frameworks) 
-Defined enforcement paths (warnings, citations, permit action, legal escalation) 
-Continuous monitoring (sensors, dashboards, logs) 
-Governance oversight (SIG-led)

These mechanisms ensure that the report’s recommendations are implementable, enforceable, and measurable in the field. 

Will Red Flag Day parking restrictions and potential long-term parking restrictions for evacuation safety be possible if the city allows new multi-unit construction and does not require adequate parking for those residents?

The Wildfire Resilience Planning report explicitly acknowledges evacuation challenges driven by narrow streets, dense on-street parking, and high vehicle ownership. It recommends expanding parking restrictions—not expanding housing units that add more parked cars.

Did AECOM evaluate the existing delivery and effluent pipes for age and viability going forward? What percentage was determined to be inadequate for future use?

AECOM did evaluate the age profile and general condition priority of wastewater (sewer/effluent) pipes in the Infrastructure Restoration report — but it does not state any percentage of pipes deemed “inadequate” for future use.

Instead, the report identifies age-based risk, material vulnerabilities, and priority groups for replacement, but does not quantify system inadequacy as a percentage of total pipe inventory.

Do the AECOM reports consider and have recommendations for security during the rebuild?

Yes — the Infrastructure Restoration report includes multiple safety, access-control, and law-enforcement–related provisions that function as security measures during the reconstruction period.

Regarding brush clearance, what is the inspection and enforcement plan and schedule?

LAFD runs all brush clearance programs.  Brush clearance for government land is currently ongoing. A brush mailer went out in March 2026 for private residences with an inspection start date of May 1, 2026, and they go through June 30, 2026. There are approximately 15,000 parcels for Palisades and Brentwood, with approximately 9,000 parcels in Palisades alone. Reinspects of the uncleared parcels take place from July - August 2026. For lots not cleared by the owner, the City contracts with landscape contractors to perform the brush clearance.

When will the city resume removal of dead and fire-damaged parkway trees?

StreetsLA is actively monitoring fire-damaged trees and determining those that require removal, trimming, or continued monitoring to ensure public safety. If you have immediate concerns about specific trees, please do not hesitate to create a MyLA311 service request. This is especially important during wet weather events. Requests from the burn area are prioritized.

Would the city buy smaller fire trucks for narrow streets & cul-de-sacs?

LAFD just purchased 5 new CAL OES Type 6 vehicles for firefighting operations. They are on a smaller one-ton chassis that can navigate      smaller City Streets and cul-de-sacs. 

Would the city publicize Arno Way through the Bel Air Bay Club as an escape route?

During an emergency incident, if a given road is indicated on LAFD maps, then Unified Command collectively may decide if the road can serve as a good alternative evacuation route. Ownership will be contacted and a road may possibly be used. LAPD and LAFD will coordinate such a decision. An LAFD Alert can then be issued with specifics. 

How do people know what evacuation routes are available before a potential fire, so they have a sense of where to go? The announcements during an event come too late and are not received.  

Routes can be identified for a pre-emptive evacuation, assuming there is time to initiate evacuee movement in advance of an acute, time-critical threat.  The reason not to publish all routes well ahead of time is for life-safety reasons: If a particular pre-identified route is not available at the time of the incident (it has just been blocked by a downed tree or rockslide for example), and evacuating residents simply assumes that is a route they are supposed to use, it can create a significant hazard for those residents.  Agencies managing the evacuation will need to confirm and publicize the specific routes available for use. 

When will utilities be put underground and what is the order in which the work will be done in the various parts of Pacific Palisades? What is the undergrounding strategy for all utilities, along with the scope, prioritization, funding and timeline?

With respect to LADWP’s undergrounding of its electrical distribution lines in Pacific Palisades, we are continuing to work on developing the master schedule. However, it is also important to note that LADWP’s undergrounding work should not delay anyone who is working to rebuild their home or business. Guidance is available at the Palisades Inspections and Permitting Support Center for any resident, business or contractor to help them move their project forward through the electrical planning, design and permitting process.      

Would the city add thermal ball valves to water lines?

No. This is because water main valves are buried with 30 inches or more cover, and therefore, they are not impacted by the high temperatures. LADWP mainly uses gate valves and butterfly valves to control the flow of water in water mains. 

For the Santa Ynez Reservoir and water redundancy, what is the targeted standard, interim configuration, and schedule to harden systems?

LADWP is evaluating several hardening options, including replacing the floating cover with a fixed cover, replacing the reservoir with tanks, constructing adjacent tanks, or converting the reservoir and adding a downstream treatment facility. In the interim, water service reliability is maintained through existing LADWP system operations and interconnections. LADWP expects to complete the alternatives study by the end of 2026, which will inform the final hardening approach and implementation schedule.

Many residents are already getting flat tires from the current street conditions.  What can be done in the interim to address this, before the underground work for utilities takes place?  

The City recognizes the urgency for temporary pothole repairs, separate from the comprehensive paving work. Teams are actively working through a priority list, aiming to address them as quickly as possible. The list is dynamic and constantly updated due to wet weather conditions. To ensure the fastest possible response for specific concerns, create a MyLA311 service request. The City is committed to expediting all locations within the burn area.

Will LADWP’s master schedule include any water-related infrastructure improvements (such as those recommended by AECOM), or is this just for undergrounding/electrical?

The master schedule covers undergrounding efforts. There are, however, several streets that are identified for both water and power infrastructure betterments. For those streets, we will be coordinating our construction activities to limit impacts on property owners.

Are LADWP undergrounding power lines in affected areas?

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has already started work to underground as much of its power system as possible, starting with building a new 34.5kv circuit on Sunset Blvd., which will serve as the ‘backbone’ for LADWP’s plans to underground residential circuits where feasible. This will enable LADWP to expand Distribution Station 29 (DS-29) and introduce a new 12kv mainline system to serve the Palisades, increasing the resiliency and reliability of the power system. 

How will sustainability and climate resilience be built into all new utility infrastructure?

Through Emergency Executive Order 5, City departments are developing paths forward to promote the use of fire-resistant construction materials to harden homes and businesses, further strengthen the resiliency of utilities to ensure power reliability during severe weather events, and more.

Additionally, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has started work to underground as much of its power system as possible, starting with building a new 34.5kv circuit on Sunset Blvd., which will serve as the ‘backbone’ for LADWP’s plans to underground residential circuits where feasible. This will enable LADWP to expand Distribution Station 29 (DS-29) and introduce a new 12kv mainline system to serve the Palisades, increasing the resiliency and reliability of the power system.

As part of the City of Los Angeles’ effort to decarbonize all new buildings, LADWP has launched the High-performance, Optimized, Modern Electrification for Los Angeles (HOME LA) pilot program to provide residential and multifamily low-rise (three stories and below) property owners financial incentives for building all-electric. Building all-electric can help reduce costs, lessen environmental impacts, and improve indoor air quality and safety in homes.