I'm writing this in the early afternoon of January 10th, 2025. I've got my senior chihuahua curled up on my right and my other dog, Odin, is sleeping in the bedroom. The air smells far less smoky today than yesterday and the sun seems less blocked by haze. Most notably, the ash has stopped falling in my backyard. As evacuation orders are being lifted for certain areas around Pasadena and Altadena, it feels like Los Angeles as a whole is holding its breath.
Santa Ana winds pummeled the Los Angeles area on Tuesday, January 7th. While the cause of the fires is still unknown, gusts of 100 mph were able to fuel, propel, and spread fires across Los Angeles. As of 12:20pm on the 10th, the Palisades fire has burned 20k acres, the Eaton fire has burned 14k acres, and other smaller fires across LA have burned over 1k acres. The death toll is still rising, at least 10 at this point. Thousands of homes, businesses, and other structures have been completely destroyed. This, like the flood of 1938, will radically alter Los Angeles. Future generations will hear horror stories from their family members about how entire cities disappeared off the map in mere hours. Landmarks, history, communities, stories, so much has been lost. The tangible and intangible have been consumed, leaving nothing but brick and ash behind. To all those who are dealing with the loss of a home, loved one, pet, community, my heart goes out to you. As long as the people who built this city remain, there's always hope. But, it's hard to think about that at the moment.
Right now, fires are still being fought. People are looking at the winds predicted to hit LA next week. All while Angelenos are sifting through the remains, hoping to find something salvageable. I keep seeing articles about the landmarks that were lost like the Will Rogers' ranch house, the Reel Inn, Topanga Ranch Motel, Rosenthal Winery, Pasadena Jewish Temple, the Bunny Museum, Palisades Charter Highschool, the beautiful homes of Altadena, and so, so much more. Selfishly, I think about the LA tourism. What stories and locations did we lose that drew people from around the world to LA? As someone who relies on the Rose Bowl for a ton of work in late December and early January, I was keeping an eye on that landmark specifically. Would there even be a stadium for a Rose Bowl next year? There were so many important schools, places of worship, legacy businesses, hiking trails, theatres, and notable homes and more places worth visiting in the path of the fires that I was scared about what it meant from a business point of view. As cancelations for tours come rolling in, that continues to weigh on me. However, don't weep for a tour company. The real tragedy of Los Angeles and the fires isn't about buildings or destinations; it's about the people whose lives will be changed forever.
While the landmarks lost are tragic, LA will make new landmarks and history. The people behind these businesses and landmarks need more support than ever and there will be links to support those groups in this blog post. And, once the embers have burned themselves out, how will Altadena, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, and so many other areas rebuild? Even with all the contractors, material, and money in the world, it will take an unpredictably long time to rebuild these communities. Where will people go for the years it will take to remake their homes and neighborhoods? LA is already suffering from a major homeless crisis, now the entire issue will be amped up considerably. Insurance policies will be canceled, leading to even worse homelessness issues the next time a fire ravages the area. The unfortunate truth is that many will move away to other parts of LA or they may leave California entirely (and no one could blame someone for holding a grudge after their home burned down.) That is why people need more help and support now than ever before. If you can give, it always helps. You can also reach out to your LA friends, let them know you're thinking about them. If you live in the area and aren't affected by the fires, you can let friends and family come to you as they evacuate, or just to escape the bad air quality. Certain businesses are providing free food to emergency responders and people that have been displaced, those are businesses that need their paying customers help right now to provide that support. Los Angeles is a big city, but can feel like a small town. Everyone here will know someone affected by the fires, even if they aren't themselves. It's more important than ever to act like a small town and try to support our neighbors through this tragedy.
All of this has been pretty much stream of consciousness. I'm still in shock and denial. Silver Lake has been lucky enough to avoid any major issues. Seeing the devastation online is heartbreaking and we aren't out of the (burning) woods yet. If you're in LA, please stay safe and keep an eye on the fire alerts.
Chris Westbrook
SUPPORT LINKS
Restaurants: https://www.latimes.com/food/list/los-angeles-restaurants-providing-food-shelter-evacuees-first-responders-fire
SUPPORT THE FIREFIGHTERS: https://cpf.salsalabs.org/cff-donation/index.html
SUPPORT THE ANIMALS: https://pasadenahumane.org/
SUPPORT THE PEOPLE: https://www.globalempowermentmission.org/mission/la-county-wildfires/
SUPPORT THE LANDMARKS: www.laconsevancy.org
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