Southern California Meetinghouse Rededicated Following Wildfire

In a symbol of hope and renewal, a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has reopened following last year’s wildfire that swept through the surrounding hillsides of Pacific Palisades, California.

“Returning to our chapel after a year of work is a joyful milestone that fills us with renewed hope for the future,” said Brian Ames, who serves as a stake president of the congregation.

The brick building at 575 Los Liones Drive was left standing but heavily damaged by smoke and ash. Following extensive renovation, Latter-day Saints gathered for the building’s rededication on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Los Angeles media also toured the building, built over half a century ago, before the worship service.

Nearly everything around the meetinghouse was destroyed in January 2025, including shrubs, trees, and the once lush hillside and trailheads behind the church. The church was left standing in what many called a miracle.

Shortly after the fires swept through Los Angeles County, Church members and their friends from Pasadena, Pacific Palisades, and Altadena, California, who were impacted by the recent wildfires, gathered in a chapel on Saturday, February 22, 2025, to hear from President Jeffrey R. Holland, the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

“We cry with you. We pray with you. You’re not isolated. You’re not forgotten,” President Holland told the gathering.

Rebuilding Pacific Palisades

The interior of the building in Pacific Palisades was gutted for a full-scale renovation, and the vegetation is now showing signs of regrowth.

“The feeling of loss was overwhelming,” explained Kayce Mammen, a Pacific Palisades resident. “Now there is hope that we can reclaim the lost pieces of our lives, working together in a single place, continuing to recover as a community.”

While the building has been reopened as a place of gathering and worship, many members of the congregation who lost their homes in the fire remain displaced.

“Even in our excitement, we carry a deep awareness of the collective grief that remains for those still navigating the difficult path of rebuilding their own lives,” Ames said.

“Many of our members still do not have a home, but now at least they have a gathering place to continue the process of rebuilding,” Mammen said.

“We believe as we come together, every step forward — no matter how small — invites more light and healing into the hearts of the entire Palisades community,” Ames said.