Administrator Lee Zeldin Marks One Year Since Deadly Los Angeles Wildfires
WASHINGTON – One year ago today, a series of deadly wildfires set Los Angeles, California, ablaze. Powered by strong wind, the fire spread rapidly with flames destroying just about everything in their path and the results were catastrophic. Homes, businesses, community centers, schools, and entire city blocks were decimated, leaving thousands of residents displaced. In the aftermath of the fires, and immediately upon his swearing in, President Trump signed an executive order giving the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 30 days to complete its Phase 1 hazardous material removal so the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) could complete Phase 2 debris removal. The Trump Administration then completed its historically large scale, federal response effort in record time.
The EPA response in Los Angeles was the agency’s largest wildfire cleanup in history. In just 28 days, 13,612 residential properties and 305 commercial properties were surveyed and greenlit for Phase 2 debris removal. This effort also included the removal and safe disposal of more than 1,000 lithium-ion batteries from vehicles, homes, and other battery powered products. Over 1,600 EPA employees across all ten regions were deployed to Los Angeles to assist in this response.
“President Trump took decisive action at the beginning of this administration to ensure Californians had the support they needed in one of their darkest moments. I was in Los Angeles in February of last year, just days after my Senate confirmation as EPA Administrator, and what I saw was apocalyptic. Homes were burnt to crisps and neighborhoods were left unrecognizable. EPA was proud to complete our work in Los Angeles on the tightest timeline possible to ensure residents could quickly move forward in their recovery process. The Trump Administration stands with the thousands of Angelinos who lost everything last year and we hope they can rebuild their homes on their properties as soon as possible,” said Administrator Zeldin.
Many other federal agencies have also been involved in the response effort beyond EPA and Army Corps. In fact, as one example, the Small Business Administration (SBA) delivered $3.2 billion in disaster loans to Los Angeles residents, making up over half of all disaster funding the agency distributed last year. Los Angeles was the largest recipient of SBA disaster relief in 2025.
In addition to the historic emergency response effort, President Trump has also taken bold action over the last year to ensure better water flow in California and improve forest management practices to prevent future wildfires.
With the Trump Administration completing all of its cleanup work at a rapid pace, residents are still facing roadblocks from their state and local governments that is preventing them from being able to rebuild their homes on their properties.
Administrator Zeldin visited Los Angeles in February last year while EPA officials were working to complete hazardous material removal. He will soon be heading back to Los Angeles, California, to survey rebuilding efforts, with more details to be announced.