Amid concerns over wildfire risks fueled by unchecked vegetation growth, Los Angeles County has approved a new plan to manage overgrown lots in areas affected by the Eaton and Palisades fires in January 2025. The county Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a motion earlier this month directing multiple departments to coordinate efforts to control vegetation on thousands of vacant properties in unincorporated Altadena and Sunset Mesa, as well as on nearby county lands.

The fires last year devastated large swaths of chaparral, brush, and trees, leaving barren landscapes that have since seen rapid regrowth of both native and invasive plants. This resurgence of flammable vegetation, combined with the slow pace of rebuilding for many affected homeowners and businesses, has raised alarms among residents about increased fire hazards, especially as the region approaches peak fire season following a dry winter.

Supervisors Kathryn Barger and Lindsey Horvath, representing Altadena and Sunset Mesa respectively, co-authored the motion citing growing community concerns over overgrown properties. The measure calls for a “solutions-oriented approach” aimed at assisting property owners in managing vegetation without resorting to punitive enforcement, recognizing the financial and logistical challenges they face amid recovery efforts.

“Residents have expressed growing concern regarding residential properties where vegetation has become severely overgrown,” the motion states. Horvath noted that many residents are struggling with insurance costs and rebuilding, while others who narrowly escaped the fires worry about the threat posed by nearby lots where brush and grasses remain unchecked.

The motion tasks the county’s Department of Public Works, the Disaster Recovery Rebuild Authority, Los Angeles County Fire, and other agencies with preparing a report by next month. This report will include recommendations on strategies and funding mechanisms to address vegetation management on fire-scarred properties. The emphasis will be on education, defensible space assistance, and voluntary mitigation efforts as preferred initial steps.

Public Works has already begun collaborating with local groups such as Neighbors Helping Neighbors and the Conservation Corps to clear brush from private properties. According to spokesperson Kerjon Lee, crews are removing approximately 50 to 60 bags of green waste daily from about 260 properties.

Beyond residential areas, the county is also conducting vegetation reduction on wildland areas of the Santa Monica Mountains and San Gabriel Valley using methods that include pile burning and goat grazing. Officials hope to secure tens of millions of dollars in state funding to expand brush clearance, fuel modification, home hardening, and other wildfire mitigation initiatives.

“These communities are working hard to rebuild, and overgrown lots pose a real threat to that progress and to the neighbors living right next door,” Barger said in a statement. She added, “I want County resources working on this problem now, before another fire season puts more lives and property at risk.”