The Fame Game with Heidi & Spencer

Episode: Rising From the Ashes: Nurturing the Land and Community
Date: September 18, 2025
Host(s): Spencer Pratt & Heidi Montag
Guest: Jessica Rogers

Episode Overview

This heartfelt episode centers on loss, resilience, and community following the devastating Pacific Palisades Fire. Hosts Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag welcome their neighbor, community leader, and fellow fire survivor Jessica Rogers. Together, they share raw emotions, discuss the slow progress of recovery, and stress the importance of nurturing both land and neighborhood spirit as they work to rebuild their lives and homes. The conversation provides an honest glimpse into the personal and communal impact of natural disasters and spotlights the failures and occasional successes of local and federal responses.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Emotional Landscape of Loss

• Reframing “Home” and Coping with Loss
  • Jessica acknowledges the complexity of returning to her property, now reduced to a "lot," but still full of memories and meaning.
    • "It's so bittersweet coming back, but it still feels like home." — Jessica Rogers [02:05]
  • Both families grew their children on these lands, giving loss a deeply personal dimension.
• Community Trauma and Survivorship
  • Many people outside the disaster zone quickly move on, while survivors remain entrenched in the daily reality of rebuilding, insurance battles, and emotional recovery.
    • "It just happened a few months ago, and it's still so fresh... We're still in the beginning of the struggles." — Heidi Montag [04:06]

2. Tending to Land and Spirit

• Regeneration Through Nature
  • Jessica and Spencer share how gardening—like pumpkins for the YMCA—brings people to these empty lots and helps foster a sense of hope and community.
  • Jessica encourages planting flowers—especially sunflowers—for both environmental rejuvenation and emotional joy.
    • "Sunflowers... are great at sucking in all the toxins from the ground and bringing joy to your space." — Jessica Rogers [05:13]
  • The hummingbirds that have returned symbolize life, joy, and resilience.
• Preserving Community Identity
  • Rebuilding is not just about structures, but about sustaining the collective energy and traditions—farmer’s markets, local events, hiking trails—that once defined the Palisades.

3. Injury, Insensitivity, & The Politics of Disaster

• Societal Misunderstanding and Disrespect
  • Spencer recounts a trespass incident: outsiders came to take photos at the property, not recognizing the sacredness and trauma tied to these spaces.
    • "To me it was a home invasion... This is our life right here. That was stolen from us." — Spencer Pratt [09:05]
  • The co-hosts lament the callousness of people dismissing their grief because of the relative affluence of the neighborhood.
• Political and Institutional Shortcomings
  • Critique of local and state politicians:
    • The removal of burned homes is touted as a “debris removal” success, which Spencer finds deeply insensitive.
    • Actual support came mainly from the federal government, not local officials.
    • State and city leaders are accused of treating the Palisades as an afterthought and misdirecting blame for inefficiencies (e.g., blaming the EPA for access delays).
    • "They always brag about record debris removal... The word debris to me is always so offensive." — Spencer Pratt [09:05]
• Criminality and Lawlessness Post-Fire
  • Looting was rampant; copper pipes and other valuable materials were stolen, compounding residents' trauma.
    • "78% of structures in the Palisades were decimated... the overwhelming majority... were robbed of tens of millions of dollars worth of copper piping." — Jessica Rogers [15:35]

4. The Reality of Rebuilding

• Bureaucracy, Insurance, and Financial Obstacles
  • Residents are struggling with insurance companies (many dropped policies), and local governments are not waiving permitting fees or offering meaningful support.
  • Federal agencies (FEMA, Army Corps) did much of the work, but city/state action is lagging.
• The Pressure to "Reimagine" vs. Restore
  • Jessica and Heidi express concern at the push for new development or denser housing without proper infrastructure or evacuation planning.
    • "We have been begging our local leadership for a proper evacuation plan for this community... for several decades." — Jessica Rogers [25:39]
  • The need is to rebuild and restore—not to radically “reimagine”—the Palisades' character and community spirit.
    • "We are rebuilding. We're not reimagining the Palisades... We want to restore the magic that was always there." — Jessica Rogers [47:29]

5. Lessons Learned & Moving Forward

• Preparedness Above All
  • The harsh realization: residents must be self-reliant in future disasters, investing in equipment or plans to defend their property (e.g., pool pumps, hoses) as public agencies may not arrive.
    • "The only chance for people to save their homes is if they stay." — Spencer Pratt, referencing LA fire chief [35:08]
• Unity and Hope
  • The future of the Palisades depends on maintaining the community’s traditions, supporting each other, and channeling grief and anger into action.
    • "If we can keep the spirit of the community alive... and help each other, we can keep going." — Jessica Rogers [40:37]
  • The community's resilience is seen in spontaneous acts (like older residents maintaining trails) and the warmth among neighbors.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "This is where our babies were born and grew up... the land carries that energy still." — Jessica Rogers [02:31]
• "The word debris to me is always so offensive. It should be record removal of everyone's possessions, livelihood, existence." — Spencer Pratt [09:05]
• "People are acting like this wasn't a sacred place. It is sacred to us... It was robbed." — Spencer Pratt [09:05]
• "Every time I went, something in the wreckage of my home had been displaced. That was a terrible violation for me." — Jessica Rogers [15:35]
• "We're not reimagining the Palisades... We want to restore the magic that was always there and that's still dormant in our lots." — Jessica Rogers [47:29]

Important Timestamps

• 02:00 — Jessica on the bittersweet feeling of returning "home" after the fire
• 04:06 — Heidi shares ongoing struggles of family and community since the fire
• 09:05 — Spencer's pain over insensitive language and political photo ops
• 13:16 — Heidi & Spencer discuss the emotional toll of disrespect from outsiders
• 15:35 — Jessica recounts crime and traumatic loss post-disaster
• 25:39 — Jessica on the evacuation challenges and the perils of densifying without planning
• 32:52 — Spencer recounts learning about the post-fire death of a neighbor
• 35:08 — Debate on staying versus leaving, and becoming self-sufficient amid emergencies
• 40:37 — Jessica on rebuilding community spirit as crucial for recovery
• 47:29 — Jessica closes with the central message: rebuild, don't reimagine

Closing Remarks

Jessica, Spencer, and Heidi end on a note of gratitude to their neighbors and a reminder of the importance of mutual support, shared memories, and active participation in community life.

• Jessica: "Our hearts will bring us home. The energy of this community will survive." [40:37; 47:29]
• Heidi and Spencer express their mutual commitment to advocacy and their determination to keep the Palisades' spirit alive until full recovery.

For further info or to connect with Jessica Rogers, listeners are encouraged to search her name with 'Pacific Palisades' for more about her work in the community.

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