Trump issues executive order to expedite rebuilding after Los Angeles County wildfires

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump issued an executive order Tuesday to expedite permits and remove local or state government delays for Los Angeles County residents rebuilding after last year’s devastating wildfires.

But local and state officials say they need federal money, not federal control of permits.

The president’s order seeks to bypass city and county building regulations. It also orders an audit of $3 billion that went to California to prevent fires through the federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.

In January 2025, the Palisades Fire, which struck the Pacific Palisades neighborhood in coastal Los Angeles and nearby Malibu and Topanga Canyon, burned 23,448 acres, destroyed 6,833 buildings and killed 12 people. At the same time, the Eaton Fire burned 14,021 acres, destroyed 1,073 structures and cost 17 lives in the Pasadena/Altadena area, which is further inland in Los Angeles County.

“It is the policy of my Administration that federally funded reconstructi...