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Southern Ca Fire Recovery01-31-23 | 10
TLE-Anaheim-2025

Southern California Fire Recovery

by Keziah Olsen Morris, LCMP
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TLE-Anaheim-2025


A year after the devastating fires ripped through L.A. County, AccuWeather estimates that total cost of the fires ?EUR" between damage and economic loss ?EUR" is as high as $275 billion. This update would make it the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history even after accounting for inflation, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

Structural Rebuild Status
That cost shows. As of February 20, 2026, 99.9% of debris has been removed from the Pacific Palisades, but only one home has been completed, according to Los Angeles County?EUR(TM)s Permitting Progress Dashboard, despite over 600 permits being issued in the City of Malibu and surrounding areas. Those affected by the Eaton fire have accomplished significantly more with ten homes completed, though this is also a small number compared to the 1,232 rebuild permits issued for the area. Though the Los Angeles Times reported that only 12-13% of affected homes have received a permit to rebuild and the numbers show that less than one percent of these projects have reached completion, over 700 homes are in construction, signaling hope on the horizon.

Landscape Rebuild Status
As the homes are being rebuilt, the care that is being taken with water and air quality must also be taken with the health of the soil. Soil industry expert and 2023 Certified Crop Adviser (CCA) Conservationist of the Year, Russell Taylor shares that, in order to heal the soil, the thick layer of stable Soil Organic Matter (SOM) that was destroyed by the fire must be restored. If a landscaper places 100 pounds, say, of compost on a property after a fire, 60-80% of that compost will be gone in the first year as the soil processes the material to rebuild its foundation. However, if humates are added to the compost, even just a 1% change in organic matter will increase the stability of the soil and save 30,000 gallons of water that first year. Composed of humic and fulvic acids, these humates are a natural byproduct of organic matter decay and increase the soil?EUR(TM)s capacity to retain water, giving the soil a head start in the healing process while saving resources. Landscape Contractors involved with the rebuilding process in fire-scorched areas should keep this in mind when consulting new clients and reestablishing landscapes for existing clients.

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