The sound of heavy machinery at work fills the air in some neighborhoods destroyed by fire in Pacific Palisades.
On other streets, silence echoes through empty lots cleared from debris and memories of what once stood.
The Palisades Fire burned more than 23,000 acres and destroyed 7,000 structures in the Pacific Palisades area. Twelve people were killed. The Eaton Fire burned more than 14,000 acres and killed 18 people. Nearly 7,000 homes and businesses were destroyed by the blaze.
The Los Angeles Fire Department lifted the final orders last month, and a stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway that was shut down by the fire is back open.
Now, the area is transitioning from a disaster zone to a massive construction site as the community begins to rebuild.
Nearly 80% of all residential properties in the city of L.A. that were destroyed by the flames have been fully cleared of debris. Mayor Karen Bass says debris removal is ahead of schedule. So far, the city has approved nearly one-third of the more than 600 requests to start rebuilding.
Billionaire Rick Caruso wants his Palisades Village Shopping Center to help bring people back.
Longtime Palisades clothing store Elyse Walker, burned to the ground in January, but will reopen in the shopping center
Caruso said they can't just focus on one area affected by the wildfire.
"The whole region is part of my community. We had a home in Malibu, we were part of our Malibu community for years and years and years," Caruso said. "Altadena is a big part of our community... out in the Glendale area. And so I feel very connected to those communities. And they need help."
6 months after Eaton Fire, rebuilding efforts continue
The areas impacted by the Eaton Fire are also well on their way to recovery.
On Monday, Gov. Gavin Newsom and Mayor Bass were in Pasadena to mark the 6-month anniversary and speak about recovery efforts.
As of July 1, debris removal had been completed on 95% of eligible properties in Altadena.
County-led efforts have awarded more than $27 million to families, workers and small businesses impacted by the fires. L.A. County also has plans to launch a software tool using artificial intelligence to help people review their building plans to make sure they're in compliance with county building codes.
County Supervisor Kathryn Barger says the next six months will be pivotal.
The county will focus on modernizing infrastructure for power, water, sewer and telecommunications lines. Barger said they'll accelerate permit approvals and bring turnaround times down to 30 days or less.
"You'll see behind me lots that are now cleared. That gives people hope, seeing things moving forward," she told Eyewitness News. "It's still devastating... I still look at a piece of property and think about the home that was there and the devastation it's had on that family. But moving in this direction shows that together we can get this done."
All this week, Eyewitness News is looking into how communities and people devastated by the Palisades and Eaton fires are doing, 6 months after the flames were extinguished. We'll have new reports every day on air, online and wherever you stream Eyewitness News.