Nearly four months after wildfires tore through the Los Angeles region, destroying around 17,000 homes, businesses, and other structures, some residents are starting the long and difficult journey of rebuilding.

In Pacific Palisades, construction crews have started framing new houses on lots where only charred fireplaces once stood. In Malibu and Altadena, the cleanup is underway as land is cleared of debris, even as many homeowners still grapple with the uncertainty of rebuilding — both financially and environmentally.

Many residents are still weighing whether it’s safe to return, as concerns remain about toxins such as lead and asbestos lingering in the soil. Despite these concerns, roughly 400 land parcels have already been put up for sale in the affected areas.

Obtaining permits and city approvals has proven slow, though experts say Los Angeles is moving relatively quickly compared to past disasters. “Putting this in context of other disasters, the speed is actually probably faster than expected,” said Sara McTarnaghan, a researcher at the Urban Institute who has studied wildfire recovery efforts across California, Hawaii, and Colorado.

In Altadena, music publicist and life coach Kathryn Frazier is pushing forward despite the loss of her four-bedroom home, where she raised two children. “I’m not leaving,” Frazier said. “That’s what kept coming up for everybody, and the more we all talked to each other the more we were all like ‘hell yes.’” She has nearly completed the first phase of county permitting and is hopeful construction can begin by summer. “We are hoping to be building by June or July, latest,” she said. “I’ve been told that maybe by February or March of 2026 we could be back in our home.”

To stay ahead of rising construction costs, Frazier has been busy sourcing affordable materials. “I’m doing things like scouring Home Depot, finding slate tiles that look modern and beautiful, but they’re actually really cheap,” she said.

In the Pacific Palisades, TV showrunner DeAnn Heline is taking a similar path. Her family’s five-bedroom, eight-bath home with sweeping ocean views was completely leveled by the flames. “It was ash. There was nothing,” Heline recalled. Despite the emotional toll, she and her husband decided to rebuild — and they’re even replicating the same design, this time with added fire-resistant upgrades. “Not only are we building another house, we’re building the exact same house again,” she said. While debris removal has been particularly challenging due to the home’s large basement, Heline knows the timeline ahead will be long. “What are you going back to? You’re going back to a moonscape? Are you there and no one else is on your block, or are you going back to a construction zone for many more years?”

Meanwhile, in Altadena, construction project manager Tim Vordtriede has turned his personal loss into a mission to help others. His beloved historic Janes Cottage, where he lived with his wife and two young children, was one of many destroyed in the Eaton wildfire. “We just loved the storybook cottage and the vibe, and of course the grander vibe of Altadena,” he said. Now, he co-leads Altadena Collective, a group providing reduced-cost support to residents navigating the complex permitting and design process. But Vordtriede offers a sobering perspective to those seeking help. “My first statement when anyone walks in the door is: We’re not here to help you design your dream home,” he said. “This isn’t a dream time. This is a nightmare, and our job is to get you out of the nightmare as soon as possible.”

While many challenges remain, the first visible signs of renewal are taking root across the devastated Los Angeles neighborhoods — and with them, a cautious but determined sense of hope.

Originally reported by Alex Veiga in AP News.