I-Team Investigation: Picking up the Pieces

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. (KESQ) - Continuing I-Team coverage six months after the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires in L.A. County that collectively burned 37,000 acres, 14,000 structures, and killed 31 people.

I-team reporter Karen Devine traveled to L.A. County to see what progress has been made and discovered some alarming new issues now slowing down the process of picking up the pieces.

Devine interviewed Altadena homeowner Kim Kantner in February just after her home burned to the ground.

Arriving to the same address six month later, the landscape was very different.

Landmarks were gone, along with most of the burned chimneys and debris that was there before. Now, just a big, deep, sandy hole surrounded by a chain link fence.

Wildflowers in bloom, new growth on trees and even tomatoes sprouting from soil covered in ash from the fire.

Kantner was visibly emotional pulling up to the weed covered lot where her one-hundred-year-old home used to stand.

Devine gave her a hug and asked her, “how are you doing?”

Kantner said, “I just feel really defeated. It’s like I never envisioned this is where I would be in my life right now.”

In February she wanted to rebuild; now she’s had a change of heart. 

“Once I saw more cleaning happening and you know all the trees marked for being chopped down, I just didn’t want to be here anymore. I just didn’t want to be here with just a blank canvas wasteland,” said Kantner.

She listed the lot and realized pretty quickly it’s a buyers’ market - and had to bring the price down. A waiting game that’s tough on the bank account.

Devine asked, “Financially can you do that?”

“Yeah, that’s a great question, and it’s a day by day. I mean, I wake up in the morning, it’s the first thing I think about.  I'm paying a mortgage on this, paying a mortgage.  I'm paying my rent right now and living expenses," said Kantner.

Just 34 miles to the west in Pacific Palisades, Scot Norred and Mary-Katherine Harr are juggling three young children, a 14-year-old and two full time jobs while navigating a new normal. 

The Palisades fire ripped through their neighborhood. Incredibly, their home still stands, but looks can be deceiving.

“Even though your house is still standing, you’ve done some testing and there are still some toxins?” asked Devine.

“Yes, in the attic and in just wipes and swipes of different areas throughout the house even after having it remediated. We did not pass our post-remediation testing and we’ve done more testing since then and there’s still heavy metals including lead all over the house,” said Harr.

"Does that dissipate, or what have you learned about that?” asked Devine.

“It does not dissipate - lead is heavy and it settles.  It seems to get worse every round of testing. We’re three rounds of testing in, self-funded. We’re at a point where we think we’re going to have to gut the house,” said Norred.

The house is stripped after pulling out furniture, rugs and wallpaper ruined by ash and smoke. The master bath was heavily affected and some reconstruction has already begun. 

Devine asked, “Would it have all been better had it all burned down?”

“Definitely not, we still have access to, even though they’re all in storage, our baby books, my wedding dress, some other valuables,” said Harr.

For the active couple the to-do list is long, and dealing with their insurance company takes a mental toll. 

Guaranteeing the health and safety of their family, in the home they love, is what they’re fighting for everyday. 

“Can you imagine not coming back?” asked Devine.

“We want to come back. We’re not quitters, and we love our neighborhood, we love our community, we want to come back," said Norred.

Just like in Altadena, out of the ash and rubble, new life has sprouted up in the Palisades in the form of flowers plants and trees, adding color to an area that’s been mostly black and gray the last six months.

Governor Gavin Newsom pushing to accelerate the permit and rebuilding process.

 A frustration for many.

After some digging, Devine found that of the just over 12,000 parcels burned in the unincorporated areas, 12,057 rebuilding applications have been received and only 125 permits have been issued.

The incorporated cities' numbers have similar results.

The Governor says his new blue print for recovery that includes AI Technology will help.

We’ll be staying on top of this story and the recovery process.