Tipsheet

California Media Tout News About Pacific Palisades Rebuilding. There's Just One Problem.

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  November 24, 2025 7:30 AM

It's been about a year since the devastating fires in and around Los Angeles, and the rebuilding process has, in a word, been slow. Last week, we learned that the majority of displaced residents in Pacific Palisades are still living in temporary housing with no end in sight.

Despite this reality, local Fox affiliate Fox 11 in Los Angeles reported over the weekend that the first rebuilt home received its occupancy permit.

Here's more:

Ten months after the Palisades Fire destroyed nearly 7,000 structures, the first rebuilt home officially received its certificate of occupancy, the final step in the rebuilding process.

The Department of Building and Safety issued the certificate Friday morning for the home built by developer Thomas James Homes, located at 915 N. Kagawa St. The certificate is a legal document that certifies a building's compliance with applicable building codes and means it is safe to live in, according to Mayor Karen Bass' office.

Thomas James Homes built the property as a showcase home, according to the Los Angeles Times. The company is building homes for 30 families in the Palisades and expects to build 100 more in 2026, the Times reported.

Mayor Karen Bass' office issued a statement on the permit.

"The Palisades community has been through an unimaginable year and my heart breaks for every family that won't be able to be home this holiday season," she said. "With more and more projects nearing completion across Pacific Palisades, the city of Los Angeles remains committed to expediting every aspect of the rebuilding process, until every family is back home."

There's just one problem with all of this. That permit was requested before the fires even happened. It's not a fire rebuild.

"This project began pre fire with the demo of the existing one story SFD, and is a "Non Eligible" project, so is not a fire rebuild. Do better.  Don't be a conduit for propaganda," the post read.

Fox11 wasn't the only outlet running propaganda for Bass. The Los Angeles Times reported the same.

A quick search of the article showed no mention of the 2024 permit.

According to Pali Builds, a group founded by residents of the Pacific Palisades after the fires, this permit is not related to the wildfires.

Here's more from their website:

It’s a Thomas James home submitted to plan check before the fire and already planned for construction well in advance.

This isn’t about catching an error. It’s about what the error reveals.
If the City can’t verify whether a single home was or wasn’t a fire rebuild — something anyone can check with one click — how can they possibly manage the complexity of rebuilding an entire coastal town?

The Mayor’s email also cites “340 active construction sites across the Palisades.”The Mayor’s email also cites “340 active construction sites across the Palisades.” That number might be technically accurate, but the only number that truly matters is this:

How many of those sites are actually rebuilding homes lost in the fire?

That distinction is critical. It’s also exactly why we’re building our website — to bring transparency, truth, and clarity to Palisadians who deserve honest information about what progress really looks like.

We want to give people hope. We want to show signs of life, progress, and momentum.
But we also need to be truthful about where the City is still falling short — especially on the logistics needed to rebuild quickly and intelligently.

And logistics will make or break this recovery.

Pali Builds is correct. Logistics make or break this recovery. It's why guys like Governor Ron DeSantis are able to rebuild Florida in days and weeks following a major hurricane, but Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass have to lie about rebuilding a structure permitted before the fires (fires exacerbated by their mismanagement, by the way).