Newsom executive order pledges to help L.A. fire victims rebuild quickly

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced an executive order on Sunday in an effort to help Los Angeles wildfire victims rebuild their homes and business quickly, unencumbered by red tape.

The order will suspend CEQA review and California Coastal Act permitting for those looking to reconstruct homes and businesses damaged or destroyed by the wildfires. According to the order, qualifying properties must be in the same location as the burnt structure and can’t exceed 110% of the footprint of the structure it’s replacing.

Qualifying building permits will be streamlined by government agencies to accelerate the rebuilding process.

The order also extends protections against price gouging on “building materials, storage services, construction, and other essential goods and services,” according to the governor’s office, until Jan. 7, 2026.

“When the fires are extinguished, victims who have lost their homes and businesses must be able to rebuild quickly and without roadblocks,” Newsom said in a statement on Sunday. “The executive order I signed today will help cut permitting delays, an important first step in allowing our communities to recover faster and stronger. I’ve also ordered our state agencies to identify additional ways to streamline the rebuilding and recovery process.”

According to the latest estimates from Cal Fire, the Palisades and Eaton fires have destroyed at least 7,000 structures.