Developer and former candidate Rick Caruso announced Monday he would be starting a foundation aimed at rebuilding communities devastated by the Palisades and Eaton fires. 

The foundation is being called Steadfast LA, which looks to accelerate rebuilding efforts by bringing together the private and public sectors. 

“Rebuilding these communities and getting people back in their homes isn’t just our responsibility — it’s our job, and we’re rolling up our sleeves to make it happen, full stop,” Caruso said in a statement.

“This isn’t about meetings and paperwork. It’s about getting our hands dirty, breaking through obstacles and physically rebuilding — brick-by-brick, street-by-street.”

He has been critical of the Los Angeles government since the start of the fires and condemned cuts to the Los Angeles Fire Department budget, lack of water in reservoirs and a lack of firefighting resources. He ran for mayor of Los Angeles in 2022 and was defeated by current Mayor Karen Bass. 

The organization will have five key pillars, according to Caruso. Those are infrastructure, rebuilding, community, communication and resilience. 

The foundation will initially be operating out of The Grove, a shopping center he owns in West Los Angeles.

Three homes owned by Caruso and his family were destroyed in the Palisades Fire, one in Malibu and two in the Palisades. It’s considered the third-most destructive wildfire on record in California.

The Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire started Jan. 7 after a months-long dry spell amidst a ferocious Santa Ana windstorm that fanned flames with 60 to 80 miles-per-hour wind gusts.