The Los Angeles Times faced backlash online after running a story suggesting a home had been “rebuilt” in Pacific Palisades following a fire, even though records indicated that the permit was submitted two months prior to the blaze.
This article, published on Saturday with the headline “The first home has been rebuilt in the wake of the Palisades Fire,” discussed a two-story home developed by Thomas James Homes (TJH) that had recently received a certificate of occupancy from Los Angeles County. Soon after it was posted, users on X accused the publication of dishonesty.
Phil Hardy, a former District Coalitions Director and U.S. House Communications Director, criticized the article bluntly, claiming it was “not even true” and labeling it an “absolute disgrace.”
Palmer Luckey, the founder of Oculus, also chimed in, branding the article as “pure propaganda.” He further emphasized that if he had produced something like that during his previous position as Online Editor at the Daily49er, he would have been dismissed. Luckey declared it wasn’t a rebuilt home but a distinctly larger development that had been approved a month before the fire, suggesting that the fire inadvertently saved time on demolition.
Andy Boenau, an author, remarked that the article appeared to prioritize manipulation over informing the public. He found it interesting that the story centered on rebuilding efforts when the featured home had already been permitted before the disaster. Boenau wondered why regulations made building housing in Los Angeles so challenging.
Meanwhile, Democrat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced that the TJH home had officially received its Certificate of Occupancy. She acknowledged the emotional toll on the Palisades community over the past year, expressing sorrow for families unable to return home this holiday season but hoping the completion of projects would provide some optimism. She affirmed the city’s commitment to fast-tracking the rebuilding process until every family was back in their homes.
The Times did not respond to requests for comments from the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Jamie Mead, the CEO of TJH, stated in a press release that their focus from the beginning had been on rebuilding the Palisades, noting that the intent was to help families return home quickly and safely.
Records from the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety indicate that the permit application was submitted in November 2024. Over that month, various corrections were issued, and final plans were picked up by November 25, 2024.
A subsequent submission wasn’t made until March, when corrections were addressed, and the plan check was approved by April.
The Palisades Fire erupted during the first week of January, rapidly engulfing the community on January 7, consuming 23,000 acres, destroying 6,837 structures, damaging another 973, and resulting in 12 deaths. Survivors testified during a Republican Senate hearing that many residents felt abandoned.
Initially, some Democrats tried blaming the fire on climate change, but later, authorities arrested Jonathan Rinderknecht, 29, who was linked to the incident that originally stemmed from the earlier Lachman Fire.
A week after the fire, on January 13, Bass issued Emergency Executive Order 1 to support rebuilding and recovery, later revised in March to ease restrictions on rebuilding structures in disaster areas.
However, more than two weeks later, when President Trump met with victims of the Palisades Fire, residents expressed frustration regarding delays in clearing their lots and obtaining city approvals. Trump was noted as urging Bass to allow residents to manage their properties without having to wait for permits.
Bass claimed that over 1,200 rebuilding plans had been approved for more than 600 properties in the Palisades and that nearly 1,000 permits had been issued for about 515 addresses. Still, residents criticized the lengthy process and high costs, with some citing total permit fees that could reach as much as $70,000.
