LETTER: Victims of LA fires will face issues

I lived in Maui during the 2023 wildfire inferno. Seeing the destruction caused by the wildfires in Los Angeles is heartbreaking. Families have lost everything and have no idea what’s in store for them to rebuild their lives.

The Maui wildfire was 15 months ago. Not one home or business has been rebuilt, and only a few permits have been issued. The California government’s red tape bureaucracy will be mind-numbing and unimaginably frustrating for those who lost everything. There will be challenges in obtaining permits, finding a capable contractor and the anxiety of escalating construction and material costs. Many are underinsured or without insurance, and future insurance for many will become unaffordable.

At some point, reality will set in. It will take years to rebuild, and the inability to find affordable temporary housing and suitable schools for their kids will be very sobering. Thousands will decide to flee California for the same reasons many families continue to leave Hawaii. The result will be an influx of Californians to Nevada. So brace yourself for an increased cost of living as Nevadans compete for resources, from housing to general living requirements.

Often, as the government gets bigger and imposes new regulations on us, our lives become more challenging to navigate. Good luck to our California neighbors.