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Los Angelinos who lost everything in the deadly fires are still being prevented from visiting their homes without a police escort, new video shows - despite the city's mayor claiming last week that rebuilding could begin 'right away'.
Dave Harvilicz, 50, a resident from the ritzy Pacific Palisades enclave which was among the worst-hit areas, filmed himself speaking with US Army personnel who were still blocking access to his street on Saturday.
According to official interactive maps, the ongoing Palisades Fire has likely obliterated the California businessman's $4 million four-bedroom, three-bath property to the ground - but he's still not even been granted access to see it.
'I haven't been able to get to the house since January 7th. It's January 25th. President Trump said we could go now - what's going on?' Harvilicz asked the US Army troop in a video he shared on X.
'I'm not too sure sir,' the soldier replied. 'Unfortunately with us we play by ear. With LAPD, they talk to our command and then our command tells us what LAPD says.'
Harvilicz pushed for more answers in the video, prompting the soldier to tell him he needs a police escort - a process which could take several hours.
It followed Friday night assurances from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass that residents would be able to start rebuilding 'right away' during a press conference where President Donald Trump scolded her about bureaucracy.
When pressed by residents about when they could start rebuilding, she said the city was doing 'everything we can – slashing regulations, expediting everything, so that people can begin the process right away', according to the New York Post.
Dave Harvilicz, 50, a businessman from the ritzy Pacific Palisades enclave which was among the worst-hit areas, filmed himself speaking with a US Army troop who was still blocking access to his street on Saturday. A screengrab from his video is shown above
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass claimed that residents would be able to start rebuilding 'right away' during a press conference held on Friday - but this doesn't seem to be the case
In an X post shared on Sunday, Bass said city officials were working to 'urgently expedite' the rebuilding process.
'Palisades residents are grieving a loss that is bigger than property — it's the weight of the loss of home and community,' she said.
'My promise to the hundreds of residents at tonight’s townhall and the thousands watching virtually is that the City is working URGENTLY to expedite federal timelines in a way that is safe for all residents.'
Residents have also been warned that toxic waste feared to be littering the ruins could take up to 18 months to clean up.
Los Angeles residents previously hit out at Bass for being away in Ghana when the fires broke out, despite having ample warning about 'critical' weather conditions in the days before.
Bass flew out to attend the West African country's presidential inauguration on January 7, after meteorologists warned that a 'recipe for fire' was on track to strike LA.
To make matters worse, a litany of failures by LA city officials appeared to be fueling the out-of-control blaze, which forced tens of thousands of people to flee amid apocalyptic scenes as homes and businesses burned to the ground.
Residents criticized officials for failing to cut off electricity to power lines, as shocking footage showed how energized cables sparking in all directions fueled the fires.
Meanwhile, the Santa Ynez Reservoir in the Palisades was closed for repairs to its cover when the worst of the wildfires broke out in the wealthy neighborhood, according to the LA Times.
This meant the 117-gallon water storage complex had been out of action for almost a year when the fires began, leaving fire hydrants running dry in some areas, encumbering firefighters efforts to extinguish the flames.
According to official interactive maps, the ongoing Palisades Fire has likely obliterated the California businessman's $4 million four-bedroom, three-bath property (pictured above) to the ground - but he's still not even been granted access to see it
The Palisades Fire razed through more than 23,000 acres and was 90 percent contained as of Monday morning, according to Cal Fire stats. (Pictured: A fire fighting helicopter drops water on the Pacific Palisades as the infernos engulfed the area earlier this month)
The fires spread so rapidly that staff at a senior living center had to push dozens of residents in wheelchairs and hospital beds down the street to a parking lot in apocalyptic scenes
Twenty-eight people have been confirmed dead as a result of the fires, which have so far destroyed 16,252 structures while razing through more than 57,000 acres, according to the latest Cal Fire statistics.
Four major infernos are still blazing - including the Palisades Fire, which razed through more than 23,000 acres and was 90 percent contained as of Monday morning.
The Eaton Fire in Altadena, northern Los Angeles, burned through 14,000 acres and was 98 percent contained by Monday morning.
Firefighters are also contending with two newer fires - the Hughes Fire in Los Angeles and the Border 2 Fire in San Diego - which have each burned through thousands of acres.
Police have arrested two people for allegedly lighting fires amid the carnage, including Ruben Montes, 29, who was detained for arson in Irwindale, roughly 16 miles away from Altadena, where the deadly Eaton Fire continues to rage.
Mexican national Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva, was taken into custody after allegedly being caught on video walking with a yellow blowtorch before he was confronted by residents in Calabasas, west of Beverly Hills.
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