They were among the most costly wildfires in United States history, ravaging the densely populated metropolis of Los Angeles in southern California. The southern California fires were the first major natural disaster to confront Trump’s second term. Accusing them of an “abject failure to rebuild” southern California, Trump announced he would be preempting state or local permitting processes. Under Bass’s leadership, in January 2025, the city of Los Angeles suspended requirements under the California Coastal Act and California Environmental Quality Act to help speed up reconstruction efforts. Still, as of Wednesday, a state website monitoring reconstruction efforts showed that just 2,981 permits had been approved between Los Angeles County, the city of Los Angeles and the nearby municipalities of Malibu and Pasadena.