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The space of this blog (and newsletter) is usually reserved for frivolity. Fun ideas for the weekend. Free to-dos around the city. Not today.
Los Angeles is burning. Wildfires rage in the Pacific Palisades, Sylmar, and the San Gabriel Mountains. In the past days, entire neighborhoods have been razed and last night there was a moment when it looked like the flames might march right down Hollywood Blvd. Hundreds of thousands of residents are under evacuation orders. For people who don’t live in the region, I think it might be a bit hard to comprehend the scope of what’s going on here but it is, in a word, a nightmare.
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Christina and I have been lucky. For now, we’re outside the evac zones by a couple miles and our power has stayed on. Still, our hearts break for the thousands who escaped the firestorm only to be faced with the reality of total loss. There are no words to assuage the grief of a family that drives away through the smoke, knowing they’re leaving behind virtually everything they own. There is no way to measure the costs, no blueprint for how to stitch a community back together when everything it holds dear turns to ashes, from schools and churches to the local grocery store.
Earlier this morning I began writing a much longer screed. I used words like “love” and “belonging” and “resiliency.” I read it back and realized I sounded like a jerk off. It’s way too soon for that kind of talk. The tragedy is ongoing. We’re figuring it out as we go. Losses continue to mount. So instead I offer two things: a reminder and a plea.
First and foremost, for the thousands of Angelenos facing devastation and displacement, I want you to know you’re not alone. Neighbors, friends and community members are going to come together to help.
And for the rest of us, the lucky ones who (at least so far) have escaped epic loss, I implore you to show the rest of the city who you are through your actions.
For the time being, that means staying on top of ongoing fire developments, being ready to evacuate if need be, directing money to appropriate outlets, offering physical assistance or shelter to friends/neighbors, and steeling our minds for the rebuild to come.
Blazes continue to scorch acreage at multiple locations and the winds are forecasted to pick up again intermittently over the coming days (though nothing like we saw earlier this week). But we WILL get through this.
Some ideas/links to aid that effort:
- Watch Duty has been the MVA (Most Valuable App) of this entire ordeal as far as I’m concerned. The app maps the wildfires and crowdsources news alerts and fire updates. It also clearly shows evacuation and evacuation warning zones. Brilliant app. Its’ a non-profit, and I encourage to you donate to it if you can.
- Mutual Aid LA Network has created a Google Sheet of local resources, including distribution hubs, shelters, and animal boarding locations. This sheet also includes locations/providers that are looking for donations or volunteers.
- World Central Kitchen has been partnering with local food truck to serve warm meals overnight to first responders and residents affected by the wildfires.
- 211 LA has partnered with Airbnb to offer free temporary shelter for people displaced from their homes by fire. Start by filling out this form.
- Sad to say, tragedy brings out scammers in droves. GoFundMe has a central hub housing all verified fundraisers related to the recent wildfires fundraisers.
- Also on the fraud front, the Federal Communications Commission has a good page of tips for how to avoid scammers in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Some good common sense reminders here, but for anyone facing property loss, this is a good primer.
- The California Department of Insurance has a Wildfire Resource page offering guides for residential property claims and tips for claimants.
- The r/Los Angeles subreddit and the conjoining megathread has been my go-to to coalesce realtime updates from around the city.
- The L.A. Times has a list of L.A. restaurants offering shelter, discounts and food to fire evacuees and first responders.
- Even if you’re not affected by the fire, you’re almost certainly facing the possibility of inhaling smoke / particulates from the surrounding burns. LAist has a primer on How to keep yourself safe from the dismal air quality.
- For realtime online video, I’ve been following coverage on the YouTube livestreams from ABC 7, KTLA, and NBCLA.
- UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain has been hosting livestreams on his YouTube channel where he’s been explaining the fire developments from a scientific and ecological perspective. Basically, I’ve watched several of his streams and it’s helped me understand the conditions and weather phenomena precipitating the ongoing disaster. Super informative, and he takes questions!
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