New tax relief bill could ease burden for wildfire survivors rebuilding lives

Gale Jaffe's brother lost everything in the Eaton fire—now, a proposed law could lift the tax weight crushing survivors' recovery. Will it pass in time?

, and Administrator

2026 April 27 . 4:04 AM

1 min read

The image shows a house engulfed in flames on the corner of a street, with smoke billowing up into... — The image shows a house engulfed in flames on the corner of a street, with smoke billowing up into the sky. The house is surrounded by trees, plants, and grass, and there is a road at the bottom of the image. This image is a reminder of the devastating effects of the California wildfires, which have killed more than 100 people.

New tax relief bill could ease burden for wildfire survivors rebuilding lives

To the editor: In one night of furious wind and fire, my brother lost his home and his apartment building, his major source of income, to the Eaton fire in Altadena. He has been struggling since. He had insurance. However, rising construction costs have put rebuilding prices well above what he received. Taxing that money would be a huge blow ("Wildfire survivors could face another blow from taxes on settlement payouts," April 20). The Legislature needs to pass this tax relief bill so he and others will know what resources they have going forward. Gale Jaffe, Los Angeles