Almost four months after Margot Stueber’s Altadena home of 18 years burned down in the Eaton fire, construction workers broke ground on her new home, a milestone in the area where many property owners and leaders are pushing hard to get rebuilding.

On Monday, April 28, Stueber cut a red ribbon while standing where her home used to be before the catastrophic Jan. 7 fire tore through the town.

The ash and debris from her home has since been cleared by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. But that didn’t stop county, state and federal officials from being on hand to mark the moment – among the first homes in the area to begin a rebuild.

“This is the first day of my new life,” Stueber said.

Stueber’s was one of 9,414 structures destroyed by the fire in early January.

In February, Stueber’s home, near Altadena Drive and Fair Oaks Avenue, was one of the first in the Eaton fire area to complete Phase-2 debris removal. It took about 50 days for the building permit to be approved.

“There’s nothing that special about me,” Stueber said. “If I can get this done, you can get this done.”

Mark Jones, whose home also burned in the fire, lives across the street from Stueber and attended the groundbreaking.

“It’s encouraging, because all of us want to get into our homes as of yesterday but to see it moving the way it’s moving it’s very encouraging and gives us hope that hey this could happen for me also,” Jones said.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, whose district includes Altadena, said the efforts the county has made to streamline the building process have made an impact, including opening a one-stop office for residents. Soon, Barger will be bring forward a motion to the board to enable applicants to self-certify, a streamlined permitting process.

According to an L.A. County online dashboard, in the Eaton fire area the Public Works Department has received 322 zoning reviews, of which 164 have been cleared. In addition, there are 63 building plan reviews in process, and four building permits have been issued.

Barger said the goal is to get building permits approved within 30 days.

“The people here need hope,” Barger said. “That momentum is important and if you lose that momentum people lose hope.”

The streets surrounding Stueber’s home were bustling with activity on Monday. Army Corps crews were clearing debris from destroyed property and several trucks and vehicles continuously passed by the lot.

Army Corps Col. Sonny Avichal said while the Corps did not wait to begin clearing debris for all  right-of-entry forms to be submitted, now that the deadline has passed it gives his crews more clarity for the work ahead.

“Now we’re able to kind of go a little bit more methodically through the neighborhoods,” Avichal said. “You’ll see that more frequently and really that helps us with our efficiency.”

Barger said Stueber is an example for others impacted by the fire who are looking for hope.

“I’m just hoping that people can see that, in fact, there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” Barger said.