Two weeks after the Palisades and Eaton fires destroyed thousands of homes in two distinct LA-area communities, many in Los Angeles County are still in a state of shock, even as donation drives peter out and the focus starts to shift from immediate support for fire survivors to broader questions about how the region could rebuild and recover .

W hen wildfires broke out across Los Angeles earlier this month, many publications began to frame the incalculable tragedy through the lens of celebrity news. As flames engulfed t