Nearly 3 years after Coastal Fire, homeowners still working on rebuild

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (KABC) -- Some homeowners who are still rebuilding from the Coastal Fire in 2022 said they have some lessons learned from their own experience which may help victims of the recent wildfires in Los Angeles. When he first heard about a wildfire breaking out in L.

A. earlier this month, Ramin Yazdi felt empathy. The painful memories came back.



Eyewitness News first met Yazdi during the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel in 2022. His home was among 20 completely destroyed by the flames. Yazdi is the president of the Homeowner's Association Board of Directors in Coronado Pointe.

Yazdi said seeing the loss in L.A. is heart wrenching.

"The fire got worse and as the pictures started showing up, it didn't resemble a fire. It resembled a bombing," Yazdi said. Nearly three years into his own rebuilding process, Yazdi had a few things he wishes he had known at the start and others that worked well.

First, don't rush into any big decisions. "At the beginning, everything is emotion. You're emotional, and you might not make logical decisions," Yazdi said.

Second, hold off on hiring a public adjuster. "First, try to get as much money from the insurance as possible. Then, if you think your insurance is shortchanging you, that's when you want to bring in some experts," Yazdi said.

Third, if you need legal help, make sure you hire an attorney specializing in fire litigation. Ali Darian who also lost his home in the Coastal Fire, said accepting what happened was key to moving forward. "You just have to have a lot of patience and accept the tragedy that happened and start all over," Darian said.

Yazdi said of the 20 houses destroyed by the Coastal Fire, as of Thursday, five had been rebuilt with the families able to return home..