Nearly 600 days after the devastating 2025 Los Angeles fires, thousands of residents are still waiting for more than $15bn in federal recovery funds, marking the longest delay in modern history for federal disaster aid, according to LAist. The previous record was set by Maui fire victims, who waited 500 days for support.
Record delay and political controversy
The Trump administration has failed to appropriate the long-term recovery funds crucial to rebuilding, leaving more than 16,000 structures reduced to ash and toxic debris. The delay is months longer than any previous comparable situation, and state officials and advocates have accused the president of politicizing disaster response.
Donald Trump has repeatedly been accused of politicizing disasters, with data from Politico showing he has approved only 23% of disaster aid requests from Democratic-run states, compared to 89% from states largely represented by Republicans. In addition, attorneys general from 25 Democratic-led states, led by California’s Rob Bonta, filed a lawsuit in July claiming the Department of Homeland Security and Fema used a “campaign of coercion” to force states to adopt voting and immigration policies favored by the president.
Impact on Los Angeles communities
The fires, which erupted in January 2025, killed 31 people and left unprecedented destruction across Los Angeles city and county. Homes, businesses, churches, and schools were leveled, with thousands more structures damaged by smoke and toxic debris. As of late July, roughly two-thirds of survivors remained displaced, according to a report from the Department of Angels, a nonprofit supporting recovery efforts.
The same report noted that all forms of financial assistance have decreased in recent months, with homeowners facing an average $500,000 gap in rebuilding costs. Close to half of those impacted have taken on debt to stay afloat, and 20% have delayed rebuilding or repairs due to financial constraints. “Recovery has stalled while families wait for the federal resources that have long helped communities rebuild after disasters,” the organization wrote.
Calls for action and ongoing requests
California Governor Gavin Newsom has made several requests to Trump over the last 18 months, including an updated accounting in March that outlines approximately $10.5bn in Community Development Block Grants for housing and infrastructure, $179m in economic development administration business grants, and $3bn for public assistance projects to replace schools, senior centers, libraries, and parks. The governor also requested support for water system restoration and street and sidewalk improvements. As of early August, these requests had not been approved.
During a presidential visit to Los Angeles earlier this month, Newsom called on Trump to fulfill his pledge of support, but no action has been taken since. California Democratic senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff issued a joint statement in June, saying, “Donald Trump’s desire to punish Los Angeles and the state of California for not voting for him, means once again that thousands of Angelinos are left watching this administration fight for anything but them, their businesses, and their communities.”
In Washington state, former Governor Jay Inslee, who recently visited Altadena, noted the destruction there and expressed concern about the new fires in Spokane. He recalled that in 2020, Trump withheld a disaster declaration for Malden, Washington, after a fire destroyed 80% of homes, due to a political feud. The declaration came a year later under Biden. “We’re hoping that that does not happen again in the Spokane fires,” Inslee said. “We’re hoping that he will have an epiphany to understand what his job is, which is to help all Americans, no matter who they voted for.”
