Pacific Palisades neighborhoods were closed to the public for months after a January firestorm devastated the community, but since its recent reopening, there have been sightings of a new, disturbing visitor in the neighborhood: disaster tourists. Busloads of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy office and others have received numerous reports about commercial tour operators conducting disaster tours in the Pacific Palisades,\u201d Los Angeles City Councilmember Traci Park said at a council meeting this week. \u201cThey\u2019re looking to profit off of destruction and other people\u2019s losses. It\u2019s really gross and it needs to be stopped.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a bid to stop the trend from becoming routine whenever disaster strikes the area, the City Council unanimously approved restricting \u201cdisaster tourism\u201d buses from the Palisades fire zone and any disaster zone.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 7, the Palisades fire tore through Pacific Palisades and surrounding areas, destroying more than 6,000 structures, many of them homes, and leaving 12 people dead. Although officials vowed to have a speedy recovery, the rebuilding process for the worst disaster in the city\u2019s history has been challenging \u2014 and slow<\/a>. <\/p>\n Park said the tour buses were not only unsettling but also potentially distracting and hazardous for crews continuing to work in the area.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s also … dangerous because we\u2019re still actively clearing fire debris,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n