On November 21, Mayor Bass announced that a residence at 915 N. Kagawa Street in Pacific Palisades had received the first Certificate of Occupancy since the Palisades fire, calling it a milestone in the city’s recovery. But backlash quickly followed when it emerged that the home, a developer-owned showcase property, had been in the works for demolition and redevelopment before the fire, with a demolition permit issued just hours before the blaze reignited. Although the building permit was approved after the fire destroyed the previous structure, critics argued the project was inaccurately framed as a post-fire rebuild.
Property records show the site was purchased in early November 2024, and a demolition permit was issued on January 7—the same day the Palisades fire reignited and ultimately destroyed more than 6,800 structures and killed 12 people. While the original home at 915 N. Kagawa Street was lost in the blaze, the developer had already submitted a plan check application on November 8, 2024—prior to the fire. However, that plan was not approved until April 1, 2025, nearly three months after the fire. The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety issued the Certificate of Occupancy on November 21, 2025.
Mayor Bass initially promoted the certificate on social media as a major rebuilding milestone, but later deleted the post, saying it was removed due to “false information circulating” and reissued with more details to “avoid confusion.” In her updated message, she insisted the Kagawa home “had been destroyed in the fire” and that its approval came only after the blaze reignited, adding, “While someone is not moving into this property today, it shows that rebuilding is underway.” She claimed that “false information” had been circulating and said the revised post was meant to provide clarity.
One prominent watchdog group, Pali Builds, flagged the mayor’s messaging as emblematic of broader administrative problems. In a post cited by the New York Post, the group noted that the rebuild was inaccurately framed, saying the city failed a basic fact check. “If the City can’t verify whether a single home was or wasn’t a fire rebuild… how can they possibly manage the complexity of rebuilding an entire coastal town?” the group stated.
A recent report found that more than 70% of Pacific Palisades fire victims are still living in temporary housing, nearly a year after the blaze. According to survey data collected from 2,300 fire-impacted residents across Los Angeles County, approximately 75% of surveyed residents in the Palisades and 67% in neighboring Altadena remain displaced. Many of these residents reported that they expect to move again within the next several months, highlighting ongoing instability even among those not facing total home loss. Among residents whose homes suffered structural, smoke, or ash damage—but were not fully destroyed—more than one-third anticipated having to relocate again in the coming year.
Still, for many displaced residents, Bass’s celebratory framing struck a nerve. Among them is Spencer Pratt, whose family lost their home in the fire and who has become a vocal advocate for fire victims. “Read the data!” Pratt wrote in response to the city’s post, pointing out that key approvals for the Kagawa property predated much of the fire response.
Weeks earlier, Pratt had delivered emotional testimony during a congressional hearing led by Senators Ron Johnson and Rick Scott. There, he accused state and local officials of “criminal negligence,” stating that delays and bureaucratic hurdles were pushing displaced families out of the community. He alleged that officials were allowing the Palisades to be remade “in the vision of their wealthy donors and foreign investors.”
EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, speaking at a Breitbart News policy event, echoed these frustrations. Zeldin stated that the EPA and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had completed their responsibilities months ago, but rebuilding remained stalled due to what he called the “incompetence” of Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom. He emphasized that federal agencies had finished hazardous materials removal and debris clearing early in the year, but local approvals continued to hold up reconstruction.
Even President Donald Trump weighed in during a recent Cabinet meeting, saying that the federal government had fulfilled its obligations and accused Bass of incompetence. “These are great homeowners that want to build their house and can’t get approved,” Trump said. “The city won’t let them do it.”
Bass was out of the country on a trip to Africa during the early days of the January fire, despite weather warnings of extreme wind conditions. Subsequent investigations revealed that smoldering hotspots from a January 1 fire, which had not been fully extinguished, likely reignited on January 7.
Breitbart News
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