AMERICANALMANAC (Charles McAdams) - Only 61 Malibu homes are rebuilding 18 months after the Palisades Fire — and residents blame red tape
Eighteen months after the Palisades Fire destroyed at least 700 structures along Malibu's Pacific Coast Highway, just 61 homes are being rebuilt, and homeowners say city permitting, state regulations, and insurance gaps have turned recovery into a second disaster. The fire broke out on January 7, 2025. Nearly 600 of the structures lost were single-family […] The post Only 61 Malibu homes are rebuilding 18 months after the Palisades Fire — and residents blame red tape appeared first on American Almanac .
Eighteen months after the Palisades Fire destroyed at least 700 structures along Malibu's Pacific Coast Highway, just 61 homes are being rebuilt, and homeowners say city permitting, state regulations, and insurance gaps have turned recovery into a second disaster. The fire broke out on January 7, 2025. Nearly 600 of the structures lost were single-family homes, according to figures then-Mayor Marianne Riggins provided to Realtor.com. As of late July 2026, the City of Malibu has issued 1,076 permits for damages, repairs, debris removal, and structures along PCH, but only 88 of those are for new home construction. The gap between destruction and rebuilding is staggering, and the people who lived there say the government response explains…Open