The lighting of the village Christmas tree is a yearly tradition for the Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles.
The community comes together, drinking hot chocolate and mulled wine while local children sing hymns on stage. A countdown to Santa Claus lighting the tree is accompanied by artificial snow cannons blanketing the street.
But this year, the tree lighting is another milestone for a community bonded together by trauma.
It’s been almost a year since wildfires ripped through LA, killing dozens and destroying thousands of homes.
Now people gather beside a building site, where homes once stood.
Carolyn and Rob Owens have lived in the Palisades for 49 years. “Every time I do something for the first time after almost a year, it’s very emotional,” says Carolyn, wiping away tears. “We were always here with our grandkids.”
“It’s sad,” says Rob. “But at least I feel like there’s some light at the end of the tunnel at this point. It’s still a ways away, but we’ll get there.”
Carolyn and Rob’s house survived the fire but so many didn’t, even on the same street.
“It’s lonely there are little pods of people but it’s not the same,” says Rob.
The Palisades is now a construction site. The majority of restaurants and shops are still shut and the clanging and clattering of lorries carrying building material is constant.
Outside every house that was destroyed is a sign advising that debris collection is complete. Most of the more than 20,000 people who lived in the Palisades are still in temporary housing. The rebuilding process is painstaking and with insurance displacement money running out, for many it’s not happening fast enough.
‘How could you not be frustrated?’
In January, with the fires still smouldering, my crew and I were driving through the palisades with a local woman when she spotted California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Rachel Darvish, a lawyer and mother, jumped out of the car and approached Newsom. Their interaction went viral as she asked him what he was going to do to help.
Almost a year on, Rachel is back at the scene of that exchange.
“When we ran into the governor here on 8 January, that was probably one of the few times I could tell you I knew where my governor was,” she says. “Have I ever spoken to the governor since then? No. He’s been running for president.”
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I ask if she is frustrated with the speed of the rebuilding here.
“How could you not be frustrated with the speed, or lack thereof, of rebuilding here?”, she says.
“Look around. This is what we’re dealing with. We are not dealing with rapidly issued permits. We are not dealing with rapidly coming up buildings. We’re not. We’re dealing with red tape, bureaucracy, and politics.”
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There are so many issues hampering the rebuilding process – not least Donald Trump’s tariffs, meaning building materials from abroad suddenly soaring in price.
There are labour shortages, too, because of his mass deportation programme.
Those new policies have come at the worst time for this place as people here try to come to grips with the loss, to recover, and reclaim their community spirit.
