Extra: Nearly a Year Later, California Wildfire Survivors Still Struggling episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 4, 2026 · 24 MIN

Extra: Nearly a Year Later, California Wildfire Survivors Still Struggling

from The Fox News Rundown · host FOX News Podcasts

Thousands of Californians who lost their homes in devastating wildfires nearly a year ago are still waiting to rebuild. Insurance gaps, infrastructure delays, and red tape have slowed the process for many families trying to regain a sense of normalcy. For many homeowners, a new deadline is approaching as mortgage forbearance periods expire—raising the prospect of making payments on homes that no longer exist, while they continue to pay rent and shoulder other costs associated with being displaced. Rachel Jonas and Rob Fagnani, who lost their Pacific Palisades home in the fire, recently joined the Rundown’s Jessica Rosenthal to explain the challenges their community is facing and why they launched DisasterMortgageRelief.com, a website dedicated to helping victims of last year’s wildfires and other natural disasters. They detail the urgent need for disaster mortgage relief and explain why families like theirs should not be punished for trying to rebuild their communities after fires, floods, storms, and other catastrophes. We often have to cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full conversation. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we’re sharing our complete interview with DisasterMortgageRelief.com founders Rachel Jonas and Rob Fagnani, where you’ll learn more about rebuilding efforts in California—and why they hope to provide more tools and hope for disaster victims nationwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thousands of Californians who lost their homes in devastating wildfires nearly a year ago are still waiting to rebuild. Insurance gaps, infrastructure delays, and red tape have slowed the process for many families trying to regain a sense of normalcy. For many homeowners, a new deadline is approaching as mortgage forbearance periods expire—raising the prospect of making payments on homes that no longer exist, while they continue to pay rent and shoulder other costs associated with being displaced. Rachel Jonas and Rob Fagnani, who lost their Pacific Palisades home in the fire, recently joined the Rundown’s Jessica Rosenthal to explain the challenges their community is facing and why they launched DisasterMortgageRelief.com, a website dedicated to helping victims of last year’s wildfires and other natural disasters. They detail the urgent need for disaster mortgage relief and explain why families like theirs should not be punished for trying to rebuild their communities after fires, floods, storms, and other catastrophes. We often have to cut interviews short during the week, but we thought you might like to hear the full conversation. Today on Fox News Rundown Extra, we’re sharing our complete interview with DisasterMortgageRelief.com founders Rachel Jonas and Rob Fagnani, where you’ll learn more about rebuilding efforts in California—and why they hope to provide more tools and hope for disaster victims nationwide. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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Extra: Nearly a Year Later, California Wildfire Survivors Still Struggling

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This episode was published on January 4, 2026.

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Thousands of Californians who lost their homes in devastating wildfires nearly a year ago are still waiting to rebuild. Insurance gaps, infrastructure delays, and red tape have slowed the process for many families trying to regain a sense of...

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