For fire victims, it’s a new year but the same old nightmare

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.

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 Maduro

• The Maduro indictment alleges a long criminal past and promises a lengthy legal battle ahead.
• Maduro says “I was captured” as he pleads not guilty to drug trafficking charges.
• Mexico’s president slams Trump’s attack on Venezuela, saying it destabilizes the hemisphere.
• To “run” Venezuela, Trump presses its existing regime to kneel.
• U.S. allies and adversaries blasted the Venezuela intervention as America defends the action in emergency U.N. meeting.

Orange County’s neo-Nazi ties

• In “American Reich: A Murder in Orange County, Neo-Nazis, and a New Age of Hate,” Pulitzer Prize winner and former Times reporter Eric Lichtblau explores the region’s dark history.
• The deeply reported book focuses on how the 2018 murder of gay Jewish teenager Blaze Bernstein in Orange County connects to a national web of white supremacy and terrorism.

What else is going on

• The oldest restaurant in Los Angeles County has closed.
• The historic Hollywood motel where rock icons stayed and movies were filmed went up in flames
• A California peer-to-peer support program shows early gains in youth mental health.
• Mickey Rourke’s supporters step up with donations aimed at preventing his eviction.
• Tim Walz, Democrats’ 2024 VP pick, drops his bid for a third term as Minnesota governor.
• U.S. expands the list of countries whose citizens must pay up to $15,000 bonds to apply for visas.

Commentary and opinions

• Rodney Brooks was a pioneer in robot tech. He gave columnist Michael Hiltzik his annualdebunking of high-tech hype.
• With high deductibles, even the insured are functionally uninsured, guest contributor Joseph Pollino writes.
• The deaths of Asian immigrants in ICE custody reveal a community under threat, guest contributor Russell Jeung writes.

This morning’s must reads

California

This immigrant survived the Eaton fire. Can she also escape Trump’s deportation surge?

After Masuma Khan escaped Altadena’s Eaton fire, ICE detained her and is seeking to deport the 64-year-old mom. A network of family and advocates helped get her freed -- temporarily.

Jan. 6, 2026

Other must reads

• The writers of Netflix’s “Train Dreams” reflect on the trip to Idaho that shaped the film.
• Times staff writer Ben Bolch reflects on life on the road with UCLA men’s basketball.

For your downtime

The Ritual Pool at the Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel.

(Mikael Kennedy)

Going out

• Hot 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 in

• Books: Sit down with “Firestorm,” the first book about last year’s L.A. fires.
• Movies: Rewatch these films and four of 2025’s under-the-radar standout performances.
• 🥗 Here’s a recipe for Fat + Flour’s London Fog Brownies.
• ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.

And 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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