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Los Angeles County officials announced on Sunday that the Pacific Palisades will reopen Monday, far ahead of schedule, just two days after President Donald Trump visited the area.
Mayor Karen Bass was at the meeting where the announcement was made after meeting with the president on Friday.
“That’s a long time, a week. I’ll be honest, to me, everyone standing in front of their house, they want to go to work and they’re not allowed to do it. … They’re safe. They’re safe. You know what? They’re not safe. They’re not safe now. They’re going to be much safer. A week, a week is actually a long time the way I look at it,” Trump said during his visit.
The current reopening is limited only to residents and to daytime hours as locals seek to evaluate losses and begin cleanup following weeks of tragic wildfires in the area.
Some parts of the area were opened last week, but others remained blocked from reentering the area even when Trump’s arrived to the Los Angeles area on Friday.
On Sunday, Trump also ordered the federal government to override California’s water management practices to help firefighters.
“This tragedy affects the entire Nation, so it is in the Nation’s interest to ensure that California has what it needs to prevent and fight these fires and others in the future. Therefore, it is the policy of the United States to provide Southern California with necessary water resources, notwithstanding actively harmful State or local policies,” the order noted.
“And it is the policy of the United States to assist Americans in disaster areas through responsive policies that more effectively empower them to rebuild and regain their livelihoods,” it continued.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom welcomed Trump to the state on Friday, meeting him as he arrived.
“We welcome President Trump to California with an open hand. Just as President Trump supported California during the pandemic, we will work together again for firestorm survivors and communities across Los Angeles who deserve all the help they can get from federal, state and local governments,” Newsome said in a statement.
“While we work on recovery, we’re also deploying crews across the region to protect against potential mudslides from the rains expected this weekend. We’re not out of the woods but the people of Los Angeles should know we’re not leaving your side,” he added.