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A year after deadly wildfires swept through Los Angeles County and destroyed thousands
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of homes, Southern California is working to rebuild and prevent future fires from
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becoming as catastrophic.
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Last year, on January 7, the first of a dozen wildfires ignited near the palisades, fueled
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by strong Santa Ana Wens and sending families scrambling to evacuate.
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After the fires were contained, an estimated $275 billion in damage was left behind, and
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Now, a year later, officials with the California government say rebuilding is underway with
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permit reviews now taking an average of 30 days.
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As of the sixth, more than 6100 permit applications had been submitted with more than 2,600 approved
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by city and county agencies, that's according to Governor Gavin Newsom's office.
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California officials say they are working to speed up permitting compared to previous
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wildfire disasters and are taking lessons from other major events, including the 2023
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Maui fires in Hawaii.
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By comparison, one year after the 2018 campfire, which also destroyed thousands of structures,
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fewer than 400 permits had been issued.
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Accuethers Jonathan Porter said, many people are still struggling with the first steps
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of recovery one year after the devastating fires.
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The process to secure permits, clear debris, and obtain insurance claim payouts has been
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incredibly challenging for some families and businesses.
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Thousands of families were displaced by the fires, and many are still facing an uncertain
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Some people have left the region, and others have decided to move out of California.
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Now, crews have carried out a historic debris removal effort following the LA fires, clearing
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more than 2.5 million tons of ash, debris, metal, and contaminated soil within 9 months.
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The amount of debris removed from the Eaton and Palisades fires alone is twice the volume
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removed from ground zero after the September 11 terrorist attacks.
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Debris removal is a massive undertaking after wildfires.
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Following the 2023 fires on Maui, trucks transported the equivalent of five football fields
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of debris stacked five stories high to a final disposal site last summer.
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Thank you whether meteorologists say recovery efforts in California will cost billions
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of dollars over the next decade and extend far beyond financial losses.
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Porter said the economic fallout from these wildfires is far from over.
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California has faced an insurance availability and affordability crisis for years.
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It has been difficult for some people to secure coverage after the fires, especially in
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Research found that heart attacks, lung issues, and other medical conditions in Los Angeles
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County spiked in the days and weeks following the wildfires.
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A recent study found a more than 200 percent increase in health problems requiring emergency
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medical attention after last January's fires in Los Angeles County.
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As experts warned that California's wildfire season is no longer confined to specific
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months, but poses a year-round threat, state and local leaders are exploring new strategies
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to protect communities when, not if, fires occur.
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Moving forward, California's Board of Forestry and Fire Protection is developing new rules
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under 2020 legislation that would prohibit flammable materials including vegetation within
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five feet of a home.
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NPR reported that the proposed zone zero policy has faced pushback from residents, including
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some fire survivors, who are concerned about losing greenery around their homes.
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Since the Los Angeles fires, nearly 63 million in new wildfire prevention grants have been
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awarded to support wildfire resilience and environmental protection efforts.
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New firefighting equipment, a dedicated strike team for Los Angeles and a statewide LIDAR
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mapping system, are expected to improve fire suppression and tracking during future fires.
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Governor Newsom said that the Los Angeles fires showed we need to move faster and smarter.
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We're streamlining projects that used to take years deploying new technology to target
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efforts where they matter most and investing record funding in prevention, turning hard
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lessons into concrete action and delivering results on the ground.
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You can find regional forecasts and more science-based articles at AccuWeather.com and for your local
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forecast at your fingertips download the AccuWeather app.
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Enjoy the rest of your day.
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I'll be back tomorrow with more from AccuWeather.
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