2025
Video Presentation: Rep. Mike Thompson and Rep. Doug LaMalfa
At the 2025 Wildfire Leadership Summit, Jennifer Gray Thompson of After the Fire USA shared the powerful story behind passing the bipartisan Disaster Relief Tax Bill (HR 5863) — a landmark victory for fire survivors across the nation. Featuring messages from Congressman Mike Thompson (Napa) and Congressman Doug LaMalfa (Butte County), this session highlights how…
Read MoreHome Plan Libraries from Paradise to Los Angeles
Architects and community leaders from Paradise and Altadena share how they’re helping wildfire survivors rebuild with resilience, affordability, and heart. Jen Goodlin of Rebuild Paradise Foundation, Alex Athenson of the Foothill Catalog Foundation, and Chris Corbett of the Altadena Collective discuss innovative home design programs, pre-approved building plans, and community-led recovery efforts that honor local…
Read MoreResilience in the Face of Relentless Disasters: Supporting California Through Philanthropy
Miguel Santana, CEO of the California Community Foundation, shares how the organization mobilized rapid relief and long-term recovery efforts following devastating wildfires across Los Angeles. With over a century of service and a 25-year history in wildfire response, the foundation raised $60 million in just 30 days—providing direct support to hundreds of nonprofits and survivors.…
Read MoreWelcome! The Power of Ohana: Community-led Recovery in a Disrupted World
In this inspiring address, Jennifer Gray Thompson highlights the power of resilience, leadership, and community in the aftermath of wildfires. She honors fire survivors, leaders, and partners from across the country—acknowledging their courage, hard work, and dedication to recovery. From Maui to Los Angeles, Jennifer reminds everyone that rebuilding takes heart, collaboration, and innovation—and that…
Read MoreWelcome Los Angeles into the Worst Club of the Best People
A moving opening from the 2025 After the Fire gathering featuring singer-songwriter and Eaton community member Aloe Blacc, joined by Kainoa Horcjo, a Cultural Leader from Maui. Together, they share songs, stories, and reflections on the power of Hawaiian values—Aloha, Ohana, and Kuleana—in guiding recovery and connection after loss. Through heartfelt music and unity, they…
Read MoreRebuild:LA Podcast: Finding Your Way Home with After the Fire’s Jennifer Gray Thompson
Story by Rebuild:LA In 2017 Jennifer Gray Thompson found herself living in her car with her dogs after evacuating from the Tubbs Fire in Sonoma County. The experience made her feel alone, lost, and unable to navigate back to the life she had enjoyed before she came face to face with a deadly mega fire.…
Read MoreCALRC2025: Keynote Presentation, Jennifer Gray Thompson
Story by CCLRtv (Center for Creative Land Recycling). Jennifer Gray Thompson, MPA, is the founder and CEO of After the Fire USA (501c3), the nation’s leading nonprofit focused on long-term recovery and resilience in wildfire-affected communities. A resident of Sonoma Valley, she entered this work after the 2017 North Bay Fires devastated her community…
Read MoreCALRC 2025 Panel: Ashes to Action Tackling Environmental Hazards to Rebuild a More Resilient L.A.
Story by CCLRtv (Center for Creative Land Recycling). This panel examines the environmental, regulatory, and logistical challenges of rebuilding in the wake of Los Angeles’ urban wildfires. From short-term hazards like toxic debris and air quality impacts to long-term threats such as soil contamination and groundwater risk, the session explores how recovery efforts can…
Read MoreThe 2025 Wildfire Leadership Summit Recap: The Power of Ohana
Last week in Sonoma, After the Fire USA hosted the 2025 Wildfire Leadership Summit, a three-day gathering of fire survivors, community leaders, frontline workers, and policymakers from across the country and beyond. Together, we explored what it means to lead through disaster, to recover with resilience, and to imagine a safer, stronger future for wildfire-impacted…
Read MoreL.A. architects are reimagining resilient homes
Story By aia.org. In a post-fire analysis of the 1961 Bel Air Fire, a brush fire that swept through wealthy hamlets of L.A. and destroyed nearly 500 houses, Captain Harold Greenwood of the Los Angeles Fire Department explicitly called out contemporary design features, including wood roofs and shingles, eaves, and windows, as “architectural invitations of disaster.” Rebuilding…
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