Pacific Palisades Fire 2

Yesterday morning, I took the photo at right, taken on the 405 North in West L.A., about 4 miles from my home, with smoke from the Palisades Fire rising from the other side of the Santa Monica mountains. By the evening, the fire had made it to the other side, forcing the evacuation of the neighborhoods on both sides of the freeway up further in the photo. That area is about 9 miles north of me up the freeway.

We never got an alert and the fire today appears to have continued northwest, away from us. Despite all this, last night was the first time I experienced some anxiety about this and actually gave some thought to what I would pack if it came to that. Fortunately, it appears we continue to be safe, but I can only imagine the stress felt by those who have been told to evacuate.

In addition to the firefighters, police and other officials, I have to also give credit to the local news people. This being L.A. with several local television news stations, all of them have been providing nearly all-day coverage, some 24/7 (about three to four stations or so). This has been from the news room, up in the air and on the ground—some reporters have covered their own neighborhoods, evacuating their own families first. 

The fact that it has been going this many days with about only 11% contained—and so far burning an area 2-1/2 times the size of Manhattan—should give people an idea of the sheer size and unprecedented scope of this disaster. With so much of it tearing through undeveloped land (like mountain terrain) where it can be only fought with water drops from aircraft, it's difficult to contain from the ground until it approaches homes and developed areas.