No One Cares That Pacific Palisades Was Destroyed Even Though the Majority of Californians Face Equal or Greater Fire Risk
“It’s your fault you lost your home in the Palisades Fire. Everyone knows that’s a high fire risk zone.”
To mark the one year anniversary of FireRebuild.com, creator Michael Kureth has launched the Fire Risk Comparative Analysis App, a tool designed to confront and dismantle the insensitive narrative that Palisades Fire victims were to blame for the loss of their community.
Survivors of the 2025 Palisades Fire have been scapegoated for both the unnatural disaster and California’s worsening insurance crisis, accused with statements like, “It’s your fault you lost your home in the Palisades Fire. Everyone knows that’s a high fire risk zone.” This narrative dehumanizes victims and shifts responsibility away from systemic failures, despite the fact that the majority of California communities face equal or greater wildfire risk than Pacific Palisades.
This press release and app are part of his broader upcoming article correcting misinformation spread across Wikipedia and major news sources regarding the 2025 Palisades Fire. The Fire Risk Comparative Analysis App was created in direct response to this false narrative, using publicly available data (16TB for fire risk alone) to compare risk levels statewide. The app also highlights how fire and fuel (vegetation) conditions drive outcomes. Even when residences comply with Zone 0 requirements, the risk remains high because the State of California has failed to clear its own brush, leaving surrounding fuel loads unattended.
While Pacific Palisades is officially classified by CAL FIRE and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) as a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, this designation is far from unique, millions of Californians live under the same or worse threat every day.
This release builds on Kureth’s prior work with Fire Rebuild, including:
- Palisades Fire Weather Report and Analysis: Unprecedented Failure, Not Unprecedented Conditions
proving both that no hurricane-force winds were recorded on January 7, 2025 during the Palisades Fire and normal wind speeds recorded by 98% of stations before 4pm. - Palisades Fire Burn Risk Report and Analysis: Palisades Fire Proven to Be an Unnatural Disaster
proving that Los Angeles had successfully mitigated greater fire risks in the past when supported by adequate funding and leadership.
The Fire Risk Comparative Analysis App allows users to:
- Check fire risk anywhere in California
- Compare their community’s wildfire conditions to Pacific Palisades
- Understand both fire and fuel risks contributing to overall danger
By translating complex wildfire data into accessible insights, FireRebuild.com continues its mission to counter misinformation, hold institutions accountable, and give a voice to silenced fire victims across California.
About FireRebuild.com
FireRebuild.com, founded by Michael Kureth and registered on September 7, 2024, was created to expose the corruption and double standards faced by fire victims. The site highlights how some survivors spend years following every rule in an effort to get a permit, while others are rewarded for violating laws and codes. It also provides an outlet for fire victims who have experienced the fact that city officials are immune to the false and misleading information they provide, which has resulted in fire victims making financial decisions that have caused significant damages. The site showcases systemic failures by the City of Malibu, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, and the Los Angeles County Fire Department, whose actions often favor developers over victims and apply a different set of rules to people based on their celebrity status or favors given to city officials.
Featuring original content and research from Kureth, along with stories from other survivors, FireRebuild.com combines investigative reporting, data-driven wildfire risk analysis, and community storytelling. Its mission is to demand accountability, prevent survivors from being driven into bankruptcy or worse, and provide a platform for fire victims to connect, share experiences, and rebuild with dignity.
Contact
For media, inquiries, and corrections, contact: Contact@FireRebuild.com