Pacific Palisades residents at different stages of rebuilding process months after devastating fire

PACIFIC PALISADES, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Six months after a devastating fire, Pacific Palisades is mostly empty lots as families figure out what's next. Some are in different stages of the rebuilding process, some are in limbo with their insurance and others are selling their land.

Everyone's situation is different, but for two neighbors, the Lopes and the Fiksdal's, they just want to get back home.

"The Palisades is home. It's magical. We have the ocean. We have the mountains. We have our community. We have our street. We have our trees and our flowers. And our land is our land regardless of whether there's a house on it right now," said Erika Fiksdal, who lost the home she grew up in and had been living in.

"It's a chapter that we want to finish over here. And we don't just want to leave with things undone. We want to stay here and, again, finish this chapter strong," said Walter Lopes, who also lost his home in the Palisades Fire.

And the Lopes are on their way to doing just that. Four months into rebuilding, the framing is up on their home and they could move in as soon as January 2026. The Fiksdal's however, have a more complicated path to rebuilding.

"There's just not enough money left for a rebuild, with building costs what they are," said Fiksdal. "We had a 2,800-square-foot home and we can't afford to rebuild a 2,800-square-foot home. But, we own the lot and we're not selling. We're not going anywhere. We're definitely getting back there somehow or another."

For 47 years, the Fiksdal's called the palisades home. Erika Fiksdal was raised here along with her two sisters. Her 77-year-old mother planned to live out the rest of her life here. They've applied for a prefab home through Rick Caruso's non-profit Steadfast LA, and if they're not accepted into the program, they'll look at an ADU or a mobile home.

"They have their house going up right next door and it's tough in its own way because it's hard for us to know we're not going to have that... but, we're happy for them," said Fiksdal.

Both families say they aren't concerned about living in a neighborhood where they could be the only residents for months, possibly years. They just want to get back as soon as they can, even though the Palisades currently looks very different.

"I believe this neighborhood will come back stronger. People are going to be even better neighbors. We're going to have an even better community," said Allesandra Lopes, who also lost her home in the fire.

There's no doubt the Palisades will look different, but both families believe it's too special a place to give up on, even though it's not one size fits all.

"So much of the city, of the country, the world, thinks of the people that live in our town as wealthy and certainly that's not the case for so much of the population. Yes, it's changed, brought growth and new families. New energy. All of that's wonderful, but we can't forget about the people like my mom," said Fiksdal.

Someone who doesn't want to start over somewhere else and, hopefully, with some help, won't have to.