One couple is finally taking the next step to rebuild after the devastation. Eyewitness News was there as they broke ground on their new construction on Sunday.
Raymundo Balthazar and Jonathan Weedman are desperate to return home to Altadena.
"This feels wonderful. This feels like it's finally happening -- it being going back home, rebuilding, going back to our lives," Balthazar said.
Like thousands of others devastated by the Eaton Fire, the couple lost everything they owned, barely escaping the flames as the blaze destroyed their community.
The building permits were signed at the groundbreaking ceremony, making it complete as they remain focused on the future.
"We hope giving some strength and inspiration to everybody who hasn't built yet, who's thinking about it -- you can do it. It's possible," Weedman said.
The groundbreaking on Sunday was one of many as more and more residents return to the community they love.
"This means a lot. I think it's important and sends a message that we are going to rebuild. That's been the biggest fear amongst many people," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger.
"We're streamlining processes, trying to make that rebuild easier, trying to simplify these laws that are often complex, so that people feel like they can do this," said District 25 Senator Sasha Renée Pérez.
The front steps of their home are a key part of Balthazar and Weedman's plans. It's a piece of their past that will soon be part of their future.
"It's the steps we used to walk out of our home that night, that morning, and they'll hopefully be the steps that we will walk back in," Balthazar said.
"I can't wait to walk up those steps in a few months, through our front door, and be home again," Weedman said.
Work is set to begin in a matter of days, and the couple hopes to move into their new home by June.