They say they can live until 2025.

They didn't say what would happen next.

In the first week of the new year, wildfires broke out in Pacific Palisades, Malibu and Altadena, causing an estimated $250 billion in damage. For the entertainment industry, they also disrupted production schedules, destroyed filming locations and left many workers homeless.

"It's definitely a setback," said Colleen Bell, executive director of the California Film Commission. "I'm sure there are some in the entertainment industry who feel this might be the last straw."

Los Angeles film workers are already struggling to recover from the pandemic, two strikes and a sharp drop in production.

“People are worried that this industry as we know it is going to be gone in five or 10 years, and that’s really sad,” said Amy Baer, ​​executive producer of “The Apprentice.” "I hope this doesn't get derailed by what we're going through right now."

But Bell hasn’t given up on Los Angeles just yet.

“There’s a strong community and collaborative spirit here,” she said. "This is definitely a difficult time, but I believe we can build back stronger and more resilient than before."

So, how can you bring production back to Los Angeles in the wake of the fire? That starts with keeping licensing costs low, said Los Angeles venue manager Danny Finn, a board member of the International Venue Managers Association.

"A temporary suspension of license fees would be a huge step in the right direction," he said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed expanding the state's film incentives from $330 million to $700 million annually. The MPAA is pushing for more changes to make the program more generous and competitive with other state programs.

Film financing has become so reliant on public subsidies at home and abroad that without state support, it's difficult to justify the higher costs of filming in Los Angeles.

“There’s a way to do it — the studios, the streamers and the networks are saying we’re going to do it,” Bell said. "It's almost like a task force. You get Bob Iger, Ted Sarandos, Donna Langley and everybody together, and then you Say, 'Well, Governor Newsom, we want to see production increase over the next six months to help the economy get back on its feet and help these people recover.'"

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass established a film and television task force in August 2024 to slow the "flow of productions to other markets." Bale said filming in Los Angeles would require producers to tighten their belts. "I don't think that's a bad price to pay to revive an economy that was already in trouble before this disaster."

Although filming in Los Angeles can be expensive, the city does have a lot to offer. Mike Schur, who filmed "The Man Within" in Los Angeles last year, noted that the city is a nexus of creative communities.

“I find that the happiest scenes are those where people are at home,” Schur said. "They can go home at night and see family or friends or do whatever they want around the house. I think the benefits of staying home outweigh the minimal benefits of filming in a distant location. "

FilmLA spokesman Philip Sokoloski said permit applications dropped 80% in the first week of the fire, a sign that location filming was disrupted, although studio work resumed relatively quickly .

Max drama Hacks resumes filming for Season 4 in Los Angeles after a brief hiatus. One of its main filming locations was a mansion in Altadena that burned in the Eaton Fire. Finn, who works on the show, said the show will go off without a hitch.

“We have no shortage of shooting area options,” he said. “I think this is and will continue to be the best place on earth to make a movie or TV show since the invention of motion pictures.”

Carolyn Giardina, Marc Malkin, Michael Schneider and Jazz Tangcay contributed to this story.