Uncontrolled wildfires raged through Los Angeles in January, all but destroying the neighborhoods of Pacific Palisades and Altadena. We at RedState covered extensively the mistakes made before the fires and after they broke out—including empty reservoirs, a missing mayor, a failure to clean out forests, a fire department that was as focused on social justice as much or more than it was about fighting fires, and more. 

But now we’re in the aftermath.

Despite Mayor Karen Bass’ excited updates about how well it’s going, one Palisades resident begs to differ. In fact, he said recovery efforts are going extremely badly. Making the situation even more embarrassing, the mayor had used this resident's house as a “prop” to show that government officials in the deep blue state were leading a valiant effort to get things back to normal:

Mayor Karen Bass used Walter Lopes’ Pacific Palisades home as a prop to pat herself on the back for helping the neighborhood rebuild after the January wildfires.

But The Post can reveal that Lopes’ house is the only structure standing for blocks and blocks in the charred, desolate neighborhood. And even he isn’t buying Bass’s narrative that rebuilding is going swiftly and smoothly.

Lopes said he was only able to get started so quickly because he was rebuilding his house exactly as it was constructed just a few years ago — and he’s shelled out millions of dollars and pulled out all the stops to get it done.

“I don’t agree that there are a lot of homes popping up,” Lopes said.

Oops, that kind of absolutely nukes Bass’ chipper messaging, doesn't it?

Mayor Karen Bass used Walter Lopes’ Pacific Palisades home as a prop to pat herself on the back for helping the neighborhood rebuild after the January wildfires.

But SWR can reveal that Lopes’ house is the only structure standing for blocks and blocks in the charred, desolate… pic.twitter.com/smf9rIYn5Z

— News News News (@NewsNew97351204) June 1, 2025

More: 100 Days After Palisades Fire, an Accountability Check

Say What? LA Mayor Karen Bass Deleted Text Messages Regarding Her Response to Devastating Wildfires

Here’s the mayor’s sunny vision of the scene on the ground:

Homes are under construction throughout the Palisades — ahead of expectations.

We've taken action to cut red tape and expedite the permitting process to get families home. pic.twitter.com/JvF7p6v6eV

— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) May 26, 2025

Lopes response: “I drove through my neighborhood yesterday, and I saw maybe one lot laying a foundation, and that was pretty much it.”

He’s not the only one:

Other homeowners say they’re still in California bureaucratic hell — waiting for the government to clear debris, test for toxic chemicals left behind, fighting with insurance companies over payouts and trying to navigate the Golden State’s notoriously punitive homebuilding restrictions.

The numbers certainly don’t paint a picture of a city that’s quickly on the rebound.

The reality is, five months after the wildfires tore through the Pacific Palisades, fewer than 300 homeowners have even applied for rebuilding permits – out of more than 7,000 structures destroyed.

Just 52 addresses have had permits approved, and fewer still have actually seen any construction – despite a batch of executive orders from state and local government meant to free homeowners from bureaucratic hell.

Palisades resident Sara Trepanier, who’s a mom and a physician, had a simple but pointed response in late May: “Karen Bass is full of crap.” 

One can’t but wonder if the once-gorgeous, high-end area will ever be rebuilt to its former glory—or if the folks who dominate California’s one-party Democratic rule even want it to be.

GOP gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton:

NEW: "Palisades fire occurred under historically typical, predictable, and manageable weather conditions, contrary to false public claims of unprecedented or unmanageable factors."

As I said all along, the fire disaster WAS caused by DEI: Democrat Extremism and Incompetence.

— steve hilton (@SteveHiltonx) June 1, 2025

The Democrat Party has never been less popular as voters reject their globalist agenda.

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