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On this week’s episode, host Cameron Barrett talks to the award-winning actress and tireless neighborhood leader, Kelly Lynch. She’s been working since not long after the January 2025 firestorms to make her neighborhood an NFPA Firewise USA site. She’s the president of The Oaks Neighborhood Association in the Hollywood Hills, which is spread out along narrow, twisty roads, filled with many older homes, and lots, and LOTS of vegetation. Through her tireless work alongside her neighborhood Board of Directors and MySafe:LA’s trained risk assessors and wildfire experts, the Oaks recently received their Firewise certification and can now take advantage of the benefits, such as better insurance deals. Kelly says the process is “not for sissies” but worth the effort. And she has some advice for those who are interested in doing the same.

Resources:

• The Oaks Neighborhood Association
• Kelly’s Recent Docuseries - California Roadtrip
• NFPA Firewise USA

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In the second episode exploring MySafe:LA's collaboration with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, we continue our conversation with MySafe:LA Executive Director David Barrett about the power of music to strengthen a community and help its people heal. We also finish up our interview with Lennon Bus co-creator Brian Rothschild. Turns out the Lennon Bus isn't new at helping kids experiencing the trauma and challenges left in the wake of natural disasters. Plus, we hear the terrific song, "Same City: Resilience After the Fire", written and performed by students from Pacific Palisades Charter High School.

Resources:

• John Lennon Educational Tour Bus
• MySafe:LA's Lennon Bus Collab
• "Same City: Resilience After the Fire" by students from Pacific Palisades Charter High School
• Music Impact Coalition

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This week is the first in a two-part episode on our new collaboration with the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus. In our work to help the communities impacted by the Palisades and Eaton Fires recover and rebuild, we reached out to the Lennon Bus nonprofit because of their past work with kids affected by disasters. We wanted to create an initiative to help children affected by the fires tell their stories and connect with one another over their shared hardships as their schools, communities, and families have struggled to recover. The Lennon Bus offers just such a program by bringing students together through music-making and storytelling. In this first episode, we hear from the bus's co-creator, Brian Rothschild, MySafe:LA Executive Director, David Barrett, and the kids of Altadena and Pasadena through their original songs.

Resources:

• John Lennon Educational Tour Bus
• MySafe:LA
• "Hiraeth" by students from Altadena
• "Mr. Change" by students from Blair High School in Pasadena
• Music Impact Coalition

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On this week's Rebuild:LA, host Cameron Barrett discusses the state of mental health among fire survivors with Shari Sinwelski, the Vice President of Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services. 14 months after the January Firestorms, as many as 8 out of 10 fire survivors are reporting struggling with their mental health. How can you do a mental health check in? Is it time for you to take advantage of the six free counseling session Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services offers to all fire survivors? Find out in the latest episode of Rebuild:LA.

Resources:

• Didi Hirsch Wildfire Recovery Resources
• Mental Health Issues for Fire Survivors
• California Wildfire Survivors’ Mental Health Challenges

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To mark the first anniversary of the Palisades Fire, the Palisades Recovery Coalition (PRC) gathered with neighbors and community leaders at the famous Eames House, a mid-century architectural landmark in the Palisades that was spared by the January 2025 Firestorms. At the event, PRC presented nearly a year of qualitative research done in all seven distinct neighborhoods in Pacific Palisades - Marquez Knolls, Alphabet Streets, Castellammare/Paseo Miramar, The Bluffs, Huntington, Highlands, and the Mobile Home Parks/Multifamily. Each neighborhood participated in professionally led focus group discussions to learn what Palisadians wanted when it came time to rebuild the Palisades. PRC was looking for data to support their desire to have any recovery effort after the fire be a new way of thinking about development - sustainable, wildfire resilient, inclusive, and most importantly, development that maintains the unique neighborhood character the Palisades had always enjoyed. In this week’s episode of Rebuild:LA, we take you to the event and hear from PRC directors, Rand Researchers, and Palisadians eager to return home.

Resources:

• Palisades Recovery Coalition
• Eames House
• Rand

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In Part II of our coverage of the Eaton Fire Survivors' Network (EFSN) press conference marking the first anniversary of the January 2025 Firestorms, EFSN's Executive Director, Joy Chen, brings state politicians to the podium to discuss the work they're doing to provide relief to fire survivors. A slew of legislation has been passed or is currently under consideration in Sacramento. She also welcomes the California Community Foundation's President and CEO, Miguel Santana, who lays out the staggering numbers of donations raised, and how it's still nothing compared to the relief funds Californians should be expecting from the federal government.

• California State Senator Sasha Renee Perez
• California Assemblyman John Haradedian
• California Community Foundation
• State Audit of the Eaton Fire
• SB878
• SB877
• AB238
• AB493

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We're back! Welcome to Season 4 and Episode 61!

We couldn't think of a better way to mark the first anniversary of the Eaton Fire and look forward to the next year of rebuilding Los Angeles than to reintroduce you to the Eaton Fire Survivors' Network (EFSN) and its amazing Executive Director, Joy Chen.

On the first anniversary, Chen arranged a press conference where she brought together elected officials, philanthropists, activists, and dozens of survivors to tell their stories of recovery and struggle. The event showed a community that was bruised and battered, and still fighting to return home. But it also showed a community that has found its strength by coming together and has no intention of giving up. Here are some highlights from that remarkable event.

Don't miss next week when we bring you part 2 of the event, and hear from state elected officials on the work they're doing to bring further relief to those struggling to return home, as well as the plans EFSN has to take on Southern California Edison and the federal government.

Resources:

• Eaton Fire Survivors’ Network
• Southern California Edison’s Role in the Eaton Fire
• LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger
• Day One

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Rebuild:LA is marking the 60th episode and announcing a brief hiatus, before we begin our third season and bring you more stories of the efforts to recover and rebuild in the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. We'll return on February 3, when we bring you an update on the extraordinary work being done by the Eaton Fire Survivors Network, including the status of their efforts to investigate the insurance industry, as well as legislative initiatives to help fire survivors.

Until we return, check out a few of our past episodes:

• Episode 29 - Delay, Deny, Discourage and Underpay with Joy Chen of Eaton Fire Survivors Network
• Episode 12 - Build Back Better with Alexis Revas, the co-founder of Cover
• Episode 051 - 70% Of Survivors Can’t Return Home with Department of Angels’ Andrew King and Angela Giacchetti

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