By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

Additional residents were able to return to Pacific Palisades following the Palisades fire, which began on January 7 and prompted evacuation orders across 90272.

Residents of the Highlands were able to return to the area starting Sunday, January 19, at 2 p.m. with proper identification. It remains an evacuation order, with resident-only access.

Residents were able to access the Riviera and Santa Monica Canyon areas as of Saturday, January 18.

For the Highlands, Los Angeles Police Department and California Highway Patrol were conducting vehicle escorts between 12 and 5 p.m. on Sunday, according to Pacific Palisades Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin.

“This will only be open to residents and business owners within Evacuation Zone Q0767-J,” he explained. “Prior to arrival, please ensure your address is located in this zone.”

Residents and business owners were told to meet at the staging area, located in Parking Lot 3 North, 1150 Pacific Coast Highway in Santa Monica, for their escort.

“A police escort is required to enter and exit this zone due to ongoing hazards in the surrounding locations,” Espin wrote. “Escorts will only be conducted during the day lights hours of 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. due to ongoing hazards in the area. There will no escorts after 5 p.m. during night hours.”

Espin wrote that about 20% of residences in the area had “completely burned down,” while “countless others have been impacted.” Some residences remain without gas and/or electricity.

“Areas that have been affected by the wildfire are impacted by smoke, soot, ash, chemicals, water and structural damage,” Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said in a statement. “Before entering any area heavily damaged or destroyed by a wildfire, be sure that officials have cleared the area and allowed entry. Once you can enter a burned-out area, please take appropriate precautions and be aware of hazards to your health and safety when returning to a property.”

Palisades fire had reached 56% containment as of Sunday evening, January 19. Residents can check their address here.

Councilmember Traci Park announced that CAL FIRE was allowing residents in The Riviera and Santa Monica Canyon areas of Pacific Palisades to return to the area as of Friday, January 17, at 12 p.m. for the first time since evacuation orders went into place on Tuesday, January 7, for the Palisades fire.

“Finally, some good news to report,” Park said in a post on social media, confirming Mandeville Canyon and Brentwood Park residents were also allowed to return.

An evacuation order remains in effect for the zones, but residents with proper identification were able to return. A curfew remains in place from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., and utilities were still in the process of being restored, Park explained. A do not drink notice remained in effect for water in 90272.

“I have been advocating to get you back to your homes,” Park continued. “I am working with our partners to do everything that we can to speed this process up.”

As of January 17, Palisades fire is 23,713 acres with 31% containment.

To confirm if an address is in the zone allowed to return, enter it in this map.

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

The Santa Monica and Malibu Pacific Palisades chambers of commerce hosted a Palisades Fire Disaster Relief Workshop for Businesses on Tuesday, January 14, directing impacting individuals to different resources.  

President and CEO of Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation Stephen Cheung explained that when the COVID-19 pandemic hit LA, many resources became available for small business owners—and simultaneously, very overwhelming. As a result, Together For LA was created to support businesses in the wake of disasters. 

Together for LA was created in partnership with LAEDC, LA Chamber of Commerce and others, designed to be a “one-stop-shop” for resources for businesses, Cheung explained. The website currently offers small business support and recovery resources, including business assistance, workforce development and more.

Federal Emergency Management Agency Private Sector Liaison Kkoby Griffin joined the workshop to explain what FEMA is doing to help state and local governments.

“State and local governments may receive 100% reimbursement for emergency work,” Griffin explained. “As the president did for states affected by Hurricane Helene, he has approved 100% of cost share for public assistance categories A and B for 180 days. This means we will cover 100% of the costs that the state and local governments are encountering for debris removal, life-saving and life-sustaining activities, including fire suppression efforts.” 

For individual support, LA County residents can apply for FEMA assistance, allowing access to resources and funding “to jumpstart their recovery,” Griffin explained.

“Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster,” according to FEMA.

Griffin explained that individuals with insurance should file with their insurance before applying for FEMA. For those who do not have insurance or are underinsured, FEMA assistance is available to help cover needs not met by insurance. 

Impacted individuals and business owners can apply for assistance by visiting disasterassistance.gov or calling 1-800-621-3362.

A representative from the United States Small Business Administration explained that disaster assistance is currently available in the form of low-interest loans.

Different types of disaster loans available include a Business Physical Disaster Loan for businesses to repair or replace disaster-damaged property owned by the business; Economic Injury Disaster Loans to help small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture, and most private, nonprofit organizations meet financial obligations that cannot be met as a result of the disaster; and Home Disaster Loans to help homeowners or renters repair or replace disaster-damaged real estate and personal property, including automobiles. 

Loans have a 4% interest rate with no payments due for the first 12 months, followed by a 30-year repayment plan. 

While only loans are available right now, SBA explained that there is “hope for grants to open.”

For more information or to apply, visit sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance/california-wildfires. A link to the full workshop is available here. 

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

As evacuation orders have remained in place across Pacific Palisades for more than a week, Los Angeles Police Department provided updates on Palisades fire—including ongoing efforts to make sure “it is absolutely safe for people to re-enter the area.”

“There is a joint search and rescue effort being conducted in the area,” Senior Lead Officer Brian Espin explained. “The search for missing persons and possible fatalities needs to happen prior to the hazardous materials and civil engineers to come in a make sure the areas are safe for utilities to come in a clear up a lot of debris (downed power lines, downed trees etc.) There is no time frame but understand the Unified Command wants to make sure it is absolutely safe for people to re-enter the area.”

The Palisades fire—which first started on January 7 at 10:30 a.m. near The Highlands—has since grown to 23,713 acres with 19% containment, as of Wednesday, January 15, at 12 p.m. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

While some evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings, an evacuation order remains in place across the Palisades.

“When it is safe, we will begin to let residents back in,” LAPD Sergeant II (Officer in Charge, Community Relations Office) Scott Alpert wrote, confirming water and power, gas, and other utilities have begun their process for surveying for repairs.

“I know this continues to frustrate many community members,” Alpert wrote. “However we do not want anyone to get hurt, and we need all the authorities (federal, state and local entities) to be able to complete their missions. As all of you know, this is going to be a long process.”

“Aerial imagery overlays show approximately 5,000 structures may have been damaged or destroyed,” according to CAL FIRE. As of its most recent update, 397 structures (residential, commercial and other) were damaged and 2,191 were destroyed.

There have been eight confirmed fatalities (fire personnel and civilian), as well as three injuries.