Embercast:LA from the Regional Fire Safe Council for Los Angeles
California Responds to Wildfire | MySafe:LA
The January 2025 firestorms changed Los Angeles. They also changed the conversation in Sacramento.As California’s 2026 legislative session concluded, lawmakers acted on an unusually broad collection of wildfire-related measures involving insurance, smoke contamination, rebuilding, mortgages, community recovery and utility liability.
Some passed. One of the year’s most consequential proposals failed. Several measures that cleared the Legislature are now awaiting action by Governor Gavin Newsom.
But the bigger story isn’t any single bill.
California is increasingly recognizing that wildfire resilience begins long before the flames arrive—and continues for years after they’re gone.
The experience of Pacific Palisades, Altadena and other fire-affected communities has exposed difficult realities. A house can survive a wildfire but still suffer serious smoke contamination. Families can have insurance and nevertheless struggle to recover. Homeowners may carry mortgages on uninhabitable properties while paying for temporary housing. Rebuilding can take years.
At the same time, California is asking residents in wildfire-prone communities to do more before the next fire: harden homes, create defensible space, prepare for evacuation and comply with evolving requirements such as Zone 0.
These issues are becoming increasingly interconnected.
That matters to MySafe:LA.
We support science-based approaches to reducing wildfire risk. We also believe successful public policy must consider affordability, local conditions, implementation realities and what residents can reasonably accomplish.
Wildfire resilience isn’t created by legislation alone. It requires cooperation among government, fire agencies, scientists, insurers, community organizations—and most importantly, the people who live with the risk.
In this Special Edition of EmberCast LA, we’re looking at several significant developments from Sacramento and what they could mean for Los Angeles.
Several measures discussed below have passed the Legislature but are not yet law. Governor Newsom must still act on them. EmberCast LA will continue following their status.
