New year. Fresh start. Moving on. Right?
Not so much for most of the thousands of people displaced a year ago by the twin fire calamities that hit the east and west ends of Los Angeles County. The lingering pain and anxiety unleashed on Jan. 7, 2025 by the Eaton and Palisades fires is illustrated in a new survey and in a pop-up art installation that opened over the weekend in downtown Los Angeles.
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The survey showed that 7 in 10 residents displaced a year ago have not returned to their homes. And while outsiders might have the disasters in their rear-view mirrors, a whopping 83% of survivors report that their mental health has worsened since the fires.
“Tens of thousands of us have been living for a year now feeling unmoored, unable to see the horizon line, enduring endless surging waves pushing us in directions we did not and would not choose,” said pastor Scott White, whose family lost homes in both the Palisades and Eaton fires.
White spoke at Sunday’s unveiling of the art exhibit “With Us” at the City Market Social House event space in downtown L.A. (The exhibit remains open only through Wednesday.) The paintings, photos and digital designs depict not charred fire zones but the memories of local artists, along with the faces and voices of people ripped from their homes, friends and communities. Said one voice in the audio installation: “We are kind of lost. Lost souls.”
The Department of Angels, a nonprofit formed in the wake of the disaster, sponsored the survey and exhibit, the latter in conjunction with another nonprofit, Extreme Weather Survivors. Organizers said they wanted to make sure the fires and recovery efforts remain in the forefront, even as more recent events pull people’s attention in other directions.
“This anniversary is very far from the finish line,” Evan Spiegel, co-founder of Department of Angels and chief executive of the company that owns Snapchat, said at the opening of the exhibit. “It’s merely a signpost.
An October view of the Palisades fire zone.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
“A year later too many people are still not home. Too many are still waiting for resources, for clear answers, for a path that doesn’t require super-human stamina just to survive. The most important thing we can do today is refuse the quiet drift into forgetting.”
Among the 2,443 adults surveyed through Dec. 2, 80% who held insurance at the time of the fires said they faced serious challenges with their carriers. Those who suffered partial losses or smoke damage reported even more problems than those who suffered total losses. The California Fair Plan and State Farm were the companies most cited as provoking dissatisfaction among customers.
“The fire was a shock,” one survivor said in a quote displayed at the exhibit. “But dealing with the insurance company is a hundred times more devastating and stressful and crushing because you feel so powerless.”
A separate review by the Milken Institute found that an even bigger financial crunch awaits many survivors, as 12-month mortgage forbearance programs term out. Nearly half of those caught in the fires said they have depleted a significant portion of their savings, while 43% have taken on debt.
Despite the trauma, the resolve to get back home appears to be only growing. Some 90% of survivors said they plan to rebuild. The percentage saying they will rebuild “no matter what” has risen by roughly 20 percentage points since a February survey.
Megan and Jay Gerig sat in a plain white enclosure inside the exhibit, listening to voices of other survivors. The couple’s rented duplex in Altadena survived the flames, but they lost many neighbors and had to temporarily move out because of smoke damage.
“It was really nice to be here and to recognize that the things that we’re feeling are not unusual,” said Megan, a teacher. “We are not the only ones experiencing this anxiety and sense of being unsettled as we start the year.” Added Jay: “There’s this expectation that we should be normal by now. I mean, come on, it’s been a year! But that’s not the reality of it.”
Today’s top stories 
Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrive at a Manhattan helipad Monday en route to a federal courthouse, escorted by heavily armed federal agents.
(Getty Images)
The indictment of Venezuela’s Nicolás MaduroOrange County’s neo-Nazi tiesWhat else is going onCommentary and opinionsThis morning’s must readsOther must readsFor your downtime 
The Ritual Pool at the Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel.
(Mikael Kennedy)
Going outHot springs: Dip in these 11 serene spots in California to heal your weary soul.Fitness: Enhance your workouts with a personal trainer who matches your goals.Staying inAnd finally … your photo of the day 
Greg Dulan, owner of Dulan’s and son of one of Los Angeles’s soul food pioneers, Adolf Dulan.
(Dania Maxwell/Los Angeles Times)
Today’s great photo is from former Times photographer Dania Maxwell of Dulan’s owner, Greg Dulan, whose family restaurants have had a continuous presence in the Crenshaw District for 50 years.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, weekend writer
June Hsu, editorial fellow
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
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