On Monday, Steve Soboroff, the recently appointed Chief Recovery Officer, is scheduled to meet with Mayor Karen Bass near the Palisades Firezone to talk about recovery operations.
Weeks after the Palisades Fire destroyed hundreds of buildings and tore through entire neighborhoods, Bass and Soboroff are meeting.
In the extensive aftermath of the wildfire, Bass chose Soboroff, a former police commissioner and counselor to the late former Mayor Richard Riordan, as the leader of the city’s reconstruction operations.
Bass stated, “Steve Soboroff’s name is attached to hope,” when he made his role known. “He will suggest a thorough municipal plan for reconstruction and acceleration. The word “expediting” is crucial in this context. We want companies, parks, schools, nonprofit organizations, and citizens to return as quickly as possible.
On January 7, the Pacific Palisades area saw the explosion of the 23,448-acre Palisades Fire. Many towns were completely destroyed by the fire by dusk. Thousands of households received mandatory evacuation orders.
Strong Santa Ana winds, which carried embers and created hot spots, faced off against crews fighting the flames. Until the weather improved, water-dropping aircraft were unable to fly due to the devastating wind gusts.
Eleven fatalities from the Palisades Fire were confirmed by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office.The fire is now 94% contained thanks to greatly increased firefighting efforts.
According to Soboroff, he would start his 10-point plan on his first day of work.
“This is about the victims…it’s about restoring community, because without community, people are lost,” Soboroff stated.
Repopulation initiatives have been launched by officials, enabling locals to return to their homes. The work of clearing the fire debris is also in progress. Heavy rainfall over the weekend resulted in mudflow and road closures in the Palisades and Malibu burn scar areas.