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U.S. News
13 September 2025

California Wildfires Spark New Approaches To Recovery

From Shaver Lake’s firefighting efforts to LA’s historic house relocations, communities are finding creative ways to cope with the aftermath of devastating blazes.

In California’s fire-prone heartland, the scars of past wildfires still linger—physically, emotionally, and now, architecturally. As the Garnet Fire in Fresno County continues its 19-day rampage, aided at last by a welcome spell of moist, cool weather, another region hundreds of miles south is quietly experimenting with a novel approach to post-fire recovery: moving entire historic houses onto charred lots.

For the residents of Shaver Lake, the anxiety is palpable. Five years ago, the Creek Fire tore through their community, leaving deep wounds that have hardly healed. Now, as the Garnet Fire—sparked by one of 40 lightning strikes in the Sierra National Forest—threatens the area, old fears resurface. "You don't sleep well; the smoke wakes you up at night," confided local resident Cissy Van Vleet to KFSN. Chief Steve McQuillan of the Shaver Lake Fire Department echoed the sentiment, saying, "The reality is none of us thought we'd be here again, especially this soon."

But this time, there is a glimmer of hope. According to meteorologist Terry Leno, "We've had a stretch of cool and moist conditions that have been really conducive to getting a lot of work done on the fire and we'll have one more day of that tomorrow where we'll have these cooler temperatures; where we have a lot of humidity hanging around." These conditions have given fire crews the upper hand, allowing them to create backburns from Dinkey Creek to Bret's Mill, with fire lines as wide as the Shaver Lake Community Center itself.

Support for the firefighting effort has transcended politics. U.S. Senator Adam Schiff and Fresno County Supervisor Nathan Magsig have both emphasized the need for unity. As Magsig put it, "When you have a fire, regardless of party affiliation, you work with everyone because fire doesn't stop at a Republican house or a Democrat house. It just rolls through." The California Interagency Incident Management Team 5 even highlighted a poignant connection to the New York Fire Department: 24 years after a team of California firefighters assisted in the aftermath of the Pentagon attack, a dozen NYFD firefighters are now stationed at base camps fighting the Garnet Fire. "What goes around comes around," said Incident Commander Alex McBath.

By Friday, September 12, the command post at Avocado Lake will be dismantled and relocated to Harlan Ranch to accommodate some 2,000 fire crews and personnel. The hope is that the favorable weather will hold long enough to contain the blaze and spare Shaver Lake from another devastating loss.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles County, the aftermath of this year’s fires has forced thousands of homeowners to confront an agonizing choice: rebuild from scratch, relocate, or—thanks to a creative new project—move an old house onto the ashes of the old one. As reported by NPR’s Cato Hernandez, a handful of families are now participating in a historic house relocation project spearheaded by the architecture firm Omgivning. The firm’s creative director, Morgan Sykes Jaybush, has identified dozens of homes slated for demolition across the county and is pairing them with fire-affected families.

For Altadena resident Evan Chambers, the process is both daunting and oddly comforting. After losing his home in the Eaton Fire, Chambers is now overseeing the dismantling of a two-story 1911 craftsman house, which will be transported piece by piece to his lot. "You know, the thought of moving a house, even a house that's, like, super beat up, it's like, oh, yeah, bring it on," Chambers told NPR. The insurance payout wouldn’t cover the full cost of a new build, but moving and renovating this old house—despite covering only about half the costs—seems more financially viable, not to mention emotionally resonant. "It felt good to me, and I loved living in it. I was, like, intimately acquainted with my house. You know, I knew every little nook and cranny and splinter on the wood floors," Chambers said.

The relocation project works by negotiating with property owners to transfer ownership of homes before demolition, often for a nominal fee. New owners then cover the costs of moving, reassembly, and any desired customizations, such as fire safety upgrades. Jaybush admits, "We know this isn't a solution for everybody, but really, the reason people should be doing this is because they want an old house." The financial calculus is complex: some families expect to pay $700,000, others up to $1 million—roughly the median home price in LA County. The homes’ conditions and sizes vary, and Omgivning is working to help homeowners better understand costs upfront. "We're hoping that we can wrap all of those different variables up so that it can be more clear for every homeowner," Jaybush said.

House moving is rare but legal under California building codes, requiring a slew of permits and inspections. Contractors like Rick Ellison of Dinuba House Movers use wooden frames and plywood walls to secure the structure during overnight transport, which is done with a city escort. "You ever seen grass grow? That’s about how exciting house moving is," Ellison joked to NPR. Yet for those involved, the process is anything but dull. Gwen Sukeena, who recently watched her new-old house arrive just before sunrise, described the experience as overwhelming: "It's a lot to handle in a few months, so, yeah, it's a huge range of emotions." Once the pieces are assembled on an elevated platform, Sukeena and her partner expect to move in within a year.

So far, only two houses have been moved under this initiative, but the project’s impact is already being felt. It’s a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of Californians facing the state’s growing wildfire threat. While not a one-size-fits-all solution, the relocation of historic homes offers a lifeline to some and a way to preserve a sense of place amid the ashes. Meanwhile, in fire-ravaged communities like Shaver Lake, the focus remains on survival, unity, and the hope that favorable weather—and a little luck—will keep disaster at bay.

As California’s fire seasons grow longer and more intense, both the fight to control the flames and the struggle to rebuild in their wake reveal the state’s enduring spirit of adaptation. Whether through innovative firefighting tactics or the literal transplantation of old homes, the Golden State continues to find new ways to rise from the embers.