Almost one year after a massive fire ripped through Pacific Palisades and destroyed thousands of structures, the rebuilding effort has officially completed its first home.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced that the two-story showcase home in the community received its certificate of occupancy from the LA Department of Building and Safety on Friday. This means that the home is cleared for residents to safely inhabit it.
The LA area saw some of the most destructive, deadly fires in California history earlier this year, two of them being the Eaton fire in Altadena and the Palisades fire in Pacific Palisades. January’s Palisades blaze destroyed more than 6,800 structures, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“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 in a statement. “But today is an important reminder of hope.”
A 1,600-square-foot ranch at the time, the property was bought by developer Thomas James Homes for $3.4 million in November 2024, before it was destroyed in the fire. The property is now a four-bedroom, 4.5-bath showcase home with fire-resistant features that sits on 4,000 square feet.
“Rebuilding the Palisades has been a shared commitment from day one, and we are grateful for the City’s leadership in accelerating this effort,” Thomas James Homes CEO Jamie Mead said in a statement about the home, which will be open to the community starting Dec. 6.
“Completing this first ground-up rebuild in approximately six months shows what is possible when public and private partners work with urgency and purpose.”
According to Mead, the developer is currently building homes for 30 families in the Palisades with the hope of building 100 additional homes next year. The permit process for this first home took roughly two months.
Bass launched multiple government initiatives soon after the blaze to assist residents with rebuilding if they choose to — including a more streamlined permit process, expedited projects for community spaces and fast-tracked debris removal.
So far, almost 2,000 permits — which are handled by local governments — have been issued in both the Palisades and Eaton fire zones, according to California’s rebuilding dashboard. More than 340 rebuilding projects are confirmed to be underway in the Palisades.
“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,” Bass said.