Pacific Palisades Fire: Six Month Review
By Brent E. Zepke, Esq.
On January 7, 2025, around 10:30 am PST, a fire began near the Temescal Ridge Trail in Topanga State Park. It was initially reported as a 10-acre brush fire. However, the strong Santa Ana winds and dry conditions caused it to spread to over 1,200 acres within a couple of hours.
It became known as the “Palisades Fire” after spreading to Palisades Highlands, a secluded community overlooking the coast between Malibu and Santa Monica. The average cost of a house in Pacific Palisade is $3 million.
On January 8, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass returned from Ghana, where she had gone despite the National Weather Service’s issuing a fire watch for L.A. that was upgraded to a red flag warning.
On January 24, President Donald Trump and his wife Melania toured the Palisades, met with residents, and held a meeting with local leaders, including L.A. Mayor Bass. Trump said the residents should not have to wait the 18 months local officials indicated it would take to start to rebuild. To reduce the delays, the president slashed federal regulations.
Mayor Bass said “First, we have to take care, to make sure that there’s getting rid of the hazardous waste. Cleaning things up, so that people can start right away. If somebody had their house destroyed and they’re going to rebuild essentially the same, maybe a little bit longer, a little bit higher, they really shouldn’t have to go through much of a process.”
Responding to the mayor’s hedging words “…shouldn’t have to go through much of a process,” indicating there would be a process where bureaucrats would get to decide what was “essentially the same…they shouldn’t have to go through much of a process,” President Trump said, “They should not have to wait.”
If those who’ve lost their homes experiences have been the same as mine, they had to continue to make the mortgage and tax payments for the house that no longer existed, as well as pay for their current living while they prepare the paperwork to try and receive a discounted value for the contents they lost in their house, assuming they had fire insurance.
On January 30, Democrats and a bunch of celebrities did a fund-raising event called “FireAid” that brought in an estimated $100 million when the matching grants were included.
On January 31, after burning for 24 days, the fire was contained; 28 people were killed, and an estimated 16,000 structures were destroyed.
In late February, CNN reported that large companies were buying up properties in the Palisades even though the land is uninhabitable.
Fox reported that about half the 123 lots sold in the Palisades since the fire were bought by corporations.
On March 25, there were reports that only four building permits had been issued.
On June 15, there were reports that only 15 building permits had been issued.
On July 8, Governor Gavin Newsom announced $101 million in funding to develop low-income multi-unit housing in the Pacific Palisades area. Hmmm, wonder what that would do to the tax base?
On July 17, it was reported that 70 out of 360 applications for building permits had been granted in L.A. County.
Money from FireAid
As we approach six months since the FireAid concert generated a reported $100 million to, at least in theory, “aid” the victims of the fire, residents complain that they had not received any money from the proceeds of the FireAid concert.
Where has the money from FireAid been?
Journalist Sue Pascoe learned that the estimated $100 million for the FireAid concert was given to the Annenberg Foundation, a philanthropic organization established in 1989 by Walter H. Annenberg.
The Annenberg Foundation
Its website proclaims that “The Annenberg Foundation is a family foundation that provides funding and support to nonprofit organizations in the United States and globally. The Foundation and its Board of Directors are also directly involved in the community through innovative projects that advance well-being, spark new ideas, and spread knowledge.”
The words “family foundation” are highlighted to emphasize that the foundation is run by the Annenberg family. Wallis Annenberg is Chairman of the Board, president, and CEO.; Charles Annenberg Weingarten is V.P and Director; Gregory Annenberg Weingarten is V.P. and Director; Lauren Bon is V.P and Director.
Initiatives of the family members listed on the foundation’s website include Universally-Accessible Treehouse, Annenberg Community Beach House, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Annenberg Space for Photography, Annenberg Tech, Wallis Annenberg PetSpace, Wallis Annenberg GenSpace (reimagines senior life), showcasing nonprofit efforts round the world, creating a partnership between France and America, and exploring self-sustaining and self-diversifying systems of exchange that feed emergent properties that regenerate the life web.
The purpose of listing them is not to judge them, but to ask if anyone can see why they were selected to manage the $100 million raised to help the victims of the Palisades Fire.
Incidentally, while the foundation does not make political contributions, the employees only contributed to the DNC, Kamala Harris, and other Democrats.
Nonprofits Receiving Funds
The words “nonprofit organizations” in the Annenberg Foundation’s Mission Statement were highlighted to emphasize that the Foundation distribute money to other nonprofits.
Chris Wallace, the Annenberg Foundation’s chief communication’ director, confirmed to Pascoe that the FireAid proceeds would not go to residents affected by the fires. Instead, the money would be distributed to several nonprofits affiliated with the Annenberg Foundation.
ABC in L.A. reported that the following had received money from FireAid:
El Nido, whose website lists “Our Mission: Empower families in low-income communities of Los Angeles County to break the cycle of poverty, child abuse, violence, academic failure, and teen pregnancy…”
Vision y Compromiso is an organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of underrepresented communities…. to educate, empower and advocate for community change in linguistically and culturally sensitive and responsive ways.
Home Grown’s Mission is to advance an inclusive childcare system…especially for those impacted by factors like immigration policies.
L.A.’s Home for Native People promotes the physical, behavioral, and spiritual well-being of American Indian and Alaskan native communities.
Emphasis is added to some words to raise the question of how these nonprofits are going to help the victims of fires that destroyed homes with an average value of $3 million if they are not American Indian or Alaskan Natives.
After Six Months of FireAid and Other “Efforts”
Trump’s advice to rebuild as fast as possible has been ignored; Mayor Bass believes that what L.A. really needs is more migrants; layers of nonprofits have been able to pay their employees and costs; someone had the use of $100 million; California taxpayers anted up $101 million for low-income housing; companies are buying properties on the cheap; and residents are fighting a battle of attrition.
This is considered “progress” in LaLa Land.
Prior to the two fires, Altadena and Pacific Palisades, I used to think our CA Dem government only had it in for the middle class. But this has proven they have it in for anyone and everyone who doesn't fit into the California they envision: a totalitarian empire funded by real estate companies and governed by greedy sociopaths who spout convenient ideology to make idiot voters think CA will be a virtuous heaven instead of the serf/overlord hell they're actually creating.
Fire aid should go to fire victims. Other organizations may be worthy of support, but this specific event was billed as Fire aid, therefore it should aid specifically fire victims.