President Donald J. Trump has issued an executive order criticizing the response of California state and Los Angeles city and county governments to last year’s wildfires, which destroyed nearly 40,000 acres in Los Angeles. The order asserts that local authorities failed to implement effective forest management and water system maintenance, delayed evacuation warnings, and did not act cohesively to contain the fires. It also notes that Mayor Karen Bass was traveling abroad during the crisis.
The statement claims that while the previous administration made promises regarding disaster recovery, significant debris removal only began after Executive Order 14181 was signed on January 24, 2025. According to President Trump, “the Federal Government completed hazardous-materials sweeps and cleared over 9,500 properties of over 2.6 million tons of debris in just 6 months.”
Despite these efforts, many residents and business owners remain displaced due to what the order describes as slow permitting processes at the state and local levels. The order states: “many homeowners and businesses have been unable to use these funds as they navigate overly burdensome, confusing, and inconsistent permitting requirements, duplicative permitting reviews, procedural bottlenecks, and administrative delays at the city, county, and State levels.” It continues: “Elected leaders have refused to take even the minimum action necessary to allow many of these survivors to move forward and rebuild their lives — the ultimate tragic failure of the State of California and City of Los Angeles to live up to their moral and legal obligations to their citizens.”
To address these issues, the executive order directs federal agencies such as FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) and SBA (Small Business Administration) to consider new regulations that would preempt state or local permitting processes found to hinder timely use of federal relief funds. Builders may be allowed to self-certify compliance with health and safety standards instead of waiting for local permits.
The order instructs relevant federal departments to expedite environmental waivers or approvals required for reconstruction using all available authorities under laws like the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA). Senior officials from each agency will be designated to ensure prompt execution.
Within 90 days, FEMA and SBA are directed—after consulting with White House domestic policy officials—to submit legislative proposals aimed at addressing situations where state or local governments impede disaster recovery.
Additionally, FEMA is ordered within 30 days to review almost $3 billion in unspent Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding granted to California for any arbitrary or improper awards. A full audit must follow within 60 days; based on its findings, FEMA may impose future grant conditions or initiate recovery actions if necessary.
The executive order emphasizes that it does not alter existing legal authorities or create enforceable rights but requires implementation consistent with applicable law.
