Nearly two years after the Palisades Fire became one of the most destructive wildfires in California history, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined neighbors and friends in a multiday service effort to rebuild lost homes.
Working with Habitat for Humanity, volunteers spent four days between Sept. 23-26, helping survivors rebuild their homes and restore their neighborhoods. The work included landscaping, exterior repairs and neighborhood revitalization projects.
The Palisades Fire burned its way through neighborhoods in January 2025, destroying nearly 7,000 structures. Many Latter-day Saint families were among those who lost their homes. The late President Jeffrey R. Holland, who was then acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, ministered to families impacted by the fires in February 2025.
Volunteering at the Habitat for Humanity event was an honor for Latter-day Saints, according to local member Chris Eastland.
“We loved being able to provide tangible assistance to individuals directly affected by the fires and at the same time develop deeper connections with our neighbors as we served side by side in this effort,” he said in a report on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
Erin Rank, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Los Angeles, told the Palisadian-Post that many people who previously donated to Habitat never thought they’d be on the receiving end of needing assistance.
“We’re focused on survivors who have a funding gap, and without assistance from groups like Habitat, they wouldn’t be able to rebuild,” Rank said.
In addition to helping rebuild homes and community spaces, Rank said Habitat is also working with people who lived in condominium and mobile homes.
Other milestones reached in recovery
The Pacific Palisades Ward meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints opened again in April, after it suffered extensive damage from smoke and ash.
“Returning to our chapel after a year of work is a joyful milestone that fills us with renewed hope for the future,” said Los Angeles California Stake President Brian C. Ames.
Pacific Palisades Ward Bishop Taylor Mammen said on the Church News podcast that about two-thirds of ward members lost their homes in the fire. He said having their meetinghouse back open again was like having “a bit of their home come back to them.”
“I think we also felt as though something really, really sacred had survived the fire that we hadn’t even appreciated fully,” he said.
