The apocalyptic flames consumed Los Angeles on the 7th of January. Realizing that the response comes too late, today homeowners are just beginning the perilous process of rebuilding their lives and homes. Among them is Kathryn Frazier, a music industry publicist and a certified life coach. She’s no stranger to renovation, as she works to restore her four-bedroom, three-bath home in Altadena. Many of the homeowners who were impacted have already dug into their own rebuilding projects. Some are being more deliberate and pushing pause on their reconstruction plans as they grapple with the new realities brought on by the fires.
That January inferno also razed 5,000 homes, businesses and other structures. Thousands of displaced residents are still reeling from having lost their homes as the waters receded. Kathryn Frazier has taken significant steps toward recovery by hiring a crew to clear debris from her property and initiating the first phase of securing necessary permits. She’s in the process of getting quotes for windows, skylights, and other fixtures now to avoid a spike in prices by securing a price lock.
Frazier’s approach has been strategic. She aims to rebuild without making major changes to her home’s size or location. Through this decision, she intends to qualify her project for the fastest possible permit approval. This is especially important given that the federal recovery process after such disasters can often take years. For example, after the 2018 Woolsey Fire, it took more than seven months to release the first building permit. The response time was significantly swifter this go-round. Fortunately, Los Angeles provided its first building permit almost two months after the fires started last fall.
While Kathryn Frazier is optimistic about her timeline, stating, “We are hoping to be building by June or July, latest,” she acknowledges the ongoing uncertainty. “I’ve been told that maybe by February or March of 2026 we could be back in our home,” she added.
Tim Vordtriede, a 44-year-old homeowner, lost his century-old home. He’s still going to rebuild, but for now, the time to build is an opportunity he’s opting to take at his own pace. Here’s what he had to say about how the ongoing reconstruction process could affect families like his. “My first statement when anyone walks in the door is: We’re not here to help you design your dream home,” Vordtriede remarked, signaling a pragmatic approach amid emotional turmoil.
For TV showrunner DeAnn Heline, that nightmare became a reality when her dream home was destroyed. Today, she’s focused on building a better future for herself. She is looking to construct a smart, sustainable new home from the bottom up. She’s adding all kinds of newfangled improvements like fireproof building materials, exterior sprinklers, etc. Even so, Heline knows that change will not come overnight. “What are you going back to? You’re going back to a moonscape? Are you there and no one else is on your block, or are you going back to a construction zone for many more years?” she pondered, reflecting on the challenges of returning to a neighborhood still recovering from devastation.
Some specialists even estimate that rebuilding could go faster than they originally expected. Sara McTarnaghan, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute, says that amongst the homeowners selling, many are doing so faster than originally planned. Homeowners are moving faster than expected. While this is cause for great optimism, it is equally evident that for millions of Americans, the road back to normalcy will be long and pave. Homeowners can quickly face waiting more than a year to return to their homes, even as projects stand ready with shovels in hand. We know that this extended hold period can be disappointing and anxiety inducing.
As Kathryn Frazier continues her journey of rebuilding, she is still committed to making decisions that have a real impact on the home she’s building. “I’m doing things like scouring Home Depot, finding slate tiles that look modern and beautiful, but they’re actually really cheap,” she stated. This resourcefulness reflects the resilience many homeowners are exhibiting as they work to overcome the challenges presented by their lost homes.
