Rebuild:LA

When the firestorms of January 2025 raged through the Pacific Palisades and Altadena, they left nearly 30 people dead and historic destruction in their wake. Recovery will be a long, uphill road, and rebuilding will take years and dedicated planning. This podcast takes a deep dive into the circumstances that led to the fires, how people can prepare for future wildfires - which are inevitable - and how Angeleños can come together to rebuild our beautiful city.

Rebuild:LA is the proud winner of the 2025 Award of Excellence from the Communicator Awards and the 2025 Silver W3 Award!

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Rebuild:LA

Rebuild:LA Episode 052: Just Because Your Home Is Still Standing, Doesn’t Mean You’ve Escaped the Fire with Eaton Fire Residents United’s Nicole Maccalla

November 25, 2025 • MySafe:LA • Season 3 • Episode 52

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Dr. Nicole Maccalla spent the first two days of the Eaton Fire on the ground, fighting to save her home. She thought that if she could just keep her house from burning, she would be okay, and when the fire was finally out, she could return to the place she and her children had called home for the last 11 years. But what she found was a house that might have been still standing, but could not be lived in. Everything inside was covered with ash, and she soon found out, other things more dangerous things that you couldn’t see, like lead, asbestos, and other heavy metals. Since then, Nicole has been trying to navigate insurance, federal aid, and state loopholes to make her house a home again. She and several fire survivors formed Eaton Fire Residents United and have created a website filled with invaluable resources and hard lessons they’ve had to learn firsthand, in their efforts to recover and rebuild. Cameron Barrett talks to Nicole Maccalla this week about her work.

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