After a week of evacuations, mourning the devastation in the Palisades, and grappling with uncertainty about their own safety, Brentwood residents were eager to return home and adjust to a new normal. However, for CalFire, the LAFD, and DWP, ensuring community members could safely sleep in their own beds remained the priority. They focused on eliminating potential dangers, including the risk of an errant spark reigniting disaster.
On Homewood Road—part of the week-long evacuation zone and home to properties starting at $6 million—a potential hazard was narrowly avoided. As DWP prepared to restore power to the street, a resident asked a service technician to inspect a loose power line in the backyard. The damaged line could have sparked another catastrophe had it gone unnoticed and re-energized.
By Friday evening, power was restored to Bowling Green Way, but parts of Mandeville Canyon and other nearby communities remained in the dark. Meanwhile, traffic snarled at Kenter Avenue and Sunset Boulevard as LAPD checkpoints ensured that only authorized residents could re-enter the neighborhood.
Not all residents fared well during the evacuation. On Oceano Drive, five homes were burglarized in a single night, made vulnerable by power outages that disabled alarm systems.
DWP estimates Brentwood will be fully back online within the next few days. As power is restored, conversations among residents shift to the future—while displaced Palisades neighbors scramble to negotiate rental options as far as Marina Del Rey, Encino, and beyond.
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