The catastrophic wildfires that tore through Southern California stands as a profound tragedy for Los Angeles County, California, and our nation. We witnessed the full fury of nature as 100 MPH winds created fire tornadoes that devastated an area larger than Manhattan. These fires claimed dozens of lives, forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate, and destroyed more than 12,000 homes, schools, places of worship, and businesses.
These catastrophes have revealed the fragility of our communities but also our collective strength.
Firefighters, first responders, and volunteers risked their lives to save countless homes and lives. Thousands of ordinary citizens stepped up in extraordinary ways. Juan, a food blogger from Pasadena, turned the Rose Bowl into an impromptu donation center, which grew into one of the largest relief hubs in the region. An undocumented immigrant from Guatemala organized a volunteer cleanup effort in Altadena. An Irish-American Angeleno opened his restaurants and cafes to evacuees, offering both refuge and essential services. A nonprofit leader dressed as a superhero, bringing $2,000 worth of toys and immeasurable comfort to children at a donation center in Arcadia, lifting the spirits of displaced families.
I had the privilege of spending one morning alongside many fellow Angelenos at the North Valley Caring Services Food Pantry, where we organized thousands of donations for those in need. Meanwhile, animal shelters overwhelmed by pets rescued from the fires saw a tremendous outpouring of support from volunteers willing to foster animals until they could be reunited with their owners.
The sheer scale of humanity’s response has filled me with hope and inspiration, even as we face a long road to recovery.
As Mayor of Los Angeles, I led the city through too many natural disasters and know that rebuilding will require a Herculean effort. Here’s what I also know: With resilience, grit, and compassion, we will rise again.
In the early days of this disaster, the political attacks and finger-pointing—while tens of thousands of lives were still in danger—were deeply troubling and only hindered our recovery efforts. Now is the time for unity. We must set aside our differences and work together for the common good. It’s time to reflect our better angels and shed the divisiveness of party politics at all levels of government. Now is the time for federal, state, county, and local governments to work in unison while leaning on the efforts of businesses, utilities, labor unions, nonprofit organizations, and both the public and private sectors to achieve the best results. Only through collective effort can we rebuild Los Angeles and fully recover from this disaster.
By coming together—not just to rebuild, but to reimagine—we have the opportunity to create a future that honors the lives lost, protects the unique landscape we call home, and strengthens the bonds that unite our diverse neighborhoods, towns, and cities.
Some of that work has already begun but we must do more. Suspending permitting and review requirements under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the California Coastal Act is a great start but we need to look at everything. Every single permitting rule, every local, state and federal agency and every facet of government that could possibly hinder rebuilding efforts needs to be reviewed. Today.
At every level of government we cannot let perfect be the enemy of the good. Together, we can strengthen critical infrastructure, including upgrading earthquake resilience, installing redundant utilities to ensure continued power and implementing smarter technology to take better advantage of AI and other tools to improve response times and protect communities.
Let’s also use this time to consider green building practices without red tape, including using sustainable building materials to ensure their resiliency against future calamity. Entire towns have been decimated, necessitating the need for the local, state and federal government to prioritize business recovery grants, workforce development initiatives and the restoration of buildings.
We have a chance to rebuild in a way that will strengthen communities for the next 100 years but only if we eliminate every single bureaucratic hurdle that stands in our way. Let this be our rallying cry: We will rise together, stronger, united, and ready for whatever comes next.
I believe deeply in this because I’ve witnessed firsthand the strength of communities bound by compassion and action. And that strength will come from the neighbors, volunteers, and everyday heroes who refuse to let anyone face this recovery alone. From the ashes, a stronger California will rise.
Antonio Villaraigosa was the 41st mayor of Los Angeles