𝗞𝗘𝗘𝗣 𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗜𝗡’: Convoys of Trucks Drive Cleanup in Pacific Palisades, 90 Days Later

PACIFIC PALISADES — On Monday, April 7, 2025, exactly three months after the devastating Palisades Fire first ignited, Santa Monica Closeup documented the massive recovery operation underway in Pacific Palisades. Across the hillsides and along Pacific Coast Highway, a relentless flow of dump trucks and heavy work vehicles could be seen in motion, transporting soil, concrete rubble, twisted metal, and fire debris from burned-out neighborhoods to processing facilities.

The scale of activity was overwhelming. Hundreds of trucks crisscrossed the fire zone, forming convoys along canyon roads and coastal routes. Crews worked in coordinated formations, loading, hauling, and clearing vast amounts of material as part of the region's aggressive cleanup and rebuilding effort. The scenes captured reflect a determined push to clear the scars left by the wildfire and lay the groundwork for recovery.

The Palisades Fire, which erupted on January 7, 2025, rapidly expanded under severe drought conditions and hurricane-force Santa Ana winds that reached speeds of up to 100 miles per hour. The blaze scorched approximately 23,448 acres, destroyed 6,837 structures — including homes, businesses, and places of worship — and forced the evacuation of more than 100,000 residents across Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and surrounding communities. High winds initially hampered aerial firefighting efforts, complicating suppression operations. The fire was declared fully contained on January 31, 2025.

In the months since, cleanup crews led by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and private contractors have accelerated debris removal operations. Dump trucks loaded with concrete and metal debris now make continuous runs between impacted neighborhoods and the nearby Temescal Canyon recycling hub, where materials are crushed, baled, and prepared for reuse. Materials that cannot be recycled are sent directly to authorized disposal sites.

Monday’s scenes offered a stark reminder of both the scale of the devastation and the scale of the response. The heavy machinery, dust clouds, and steady grind of truck engines signal a region in motion, pushing forward on the long road to recovery.