On the Pacific Coast Highway, near the beaches of Malibu, the sign announcing a “21-mile scenic route” no longer delivers on its promise. While the charred debris from beachside restaurants burned down during the January 2025 wildfires has been cleared away, dozens of construction vehicles, noisy mobile generators, and miles of fencing mar the view of the ocean. Behind these barricades, concrete posts that once anchored cafés, ice cream parlors, and restaurants remain half-buried, giving the remnants the appearance of ancient ruins.

One year ago today, on January 7, 2025, wildfires that began on the outskirts of Los Angeles spread into the urban area, causing 31 deaths, 100,000 evacuations, and the destruction of more than 16,000 buildings. Since the tragedy, investigations have multiplied in an attempt to clarify who was responsible for the disasters that made that day one of the most expensive in the history of the American West Coast, with insurance claims alone amounting to several tens of billions of dollars and economic damage likely ten times higher, spread out over several years. Yet reconstruction efforts are already advancing at full speed. Forced to choose between rebuilding quickly and rebuilding better, the city and its residents have at times been uncertain on which path to choose.

At the foot of the Santa Monica Mountains, Malibu’s beaches paid the price, scorched by the Palisades fire. The dream villas perched on the hillsides were not spared either. On January 7, actors, singers, and other wealthy Californians were evacuated, sometimes losing their homes to the flames just like anyone else. That same day, another massive blaze, this one coming from Eaton Canyon to the east of the city, destroyed much of Altadena, a more diverse and bohemian community nestled on the slopes of the San Gabriel Mountains. A year later, the area has yet to recover its picture-perfect appearance.

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