CA - Pacific Palisades - 30,000 People Ordered to Evacuate From L.A. Wildfires #2

[Knox]

Million Dollar Listing's realtor Josh Altman did a fascinating interview where he talked about the post-fire cataclysm future of the Palisades. He said the majority of those in the area were underinsured. He feels they're going to take their insurance checks, sell their land, and move elsewhere. He said it's always going to be a vibrantly important neighborhood, but a whole new crowd will take over, with new faces. The way he explains it, it seems logical to me, but it's jmo. Nobody is going to want to experience something like this again, but especially if they're experiencing serious financial hardship and loss, too, as a result.

‘Million Dollar Listing’ star Josh Altman says up to 70% of Palisades residents will not return after devastating LA fires

“I just don’t see people going back there,” Josh Altman said.

nypost.com

Thanks for posting this, makes sense to me too and I think he's right. I do watch his show, lol - leave to Altman to be able to strategize/capitalize on the PP market condition post-fire.

Carl DeMaio (Reform California) - had an interesting take on what the insurance market fallout will be post-fire. Predicting a tripling of rates across the board. Which for my husband and I who will be retiring in the next three years, is yet another driving force to sell and move to another state. Sad - born & bred, life-long natives. Hopefully our kids follow ...

 

[Herat]

It was already starting last week, as the fires were blazing away:

Get Me to Newport [Beach]

Devastating Fires Send L.A. Residents Scrambling for Luxury Homes in a Tight Market: ‘Get Me to Newport’

With two major fires raging in Los Angeles County, thousands of displaced residents are now hunting for new homes in a very tight real estate market.

variety.com

 

[Lusitana]

My guess is that the people who are able to relocate, will do so in the same general areas. The Woolsey fire also destroyed several homes in Malibu, but people stayed and kept buying there. I know the Palisades fire destroyed much more, but I'm guessing the people that were living in Pacific Palisades won't generally move much further. I might be wrong though, and if people decide to leave LA towards OC, then my guess is Laguna-Dana Point-San Clemente.

 

[Curious Me]

Concerns that the rains will start and cause more havoc. They need to get the toxic ash and debris cleaned up and in some kind of intact state where it's not flying around or draining into water supplies. The clean up crews have my respect and prayers for their health and safety.

Moving forward after the fires are out.

How do you clean up a fire disaster unlike any other in modern times? ‘It’s going to be an enormous undertaking’​

CNN 5 minute read Updated January 16, 2025

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/16/climate/la-fires-clean-up-recovery/index.html

What to know about toxic exposures from LA’s fires Fire and smoke-damaged homes contain all sorts of chemical risks, warn environmental health experts.

What to know about toxic exposures from LA’s fires

Fire and smoke-damaged homes contain all sorts of chemical risks, warn environmental health experts.

lapublicpress.org

 

[Donswife48]

"The camper van that survived the flames:

Amazing picture shows how surfer's old VW remained untouched through LA fires.



'There is magic in that van,'
said Preston Martin, a 24-year-old surfboard maker who owned the vehicle until last summer and slept in it for a year while at college.

'It makes no sense why this happened.
It should have been toasted,
but here we are.
It’s so cool that it’s become this, like, beacon of hope'.

'Everything around it was toasted,
just destroyed.
And then here’s this bright blue shiny van,
sitting right there'."

Amazing picture shows how old VW camper van survived the LA fires

A Volkswagen camper van that improbably survived the Pacific Palisades fire, inexplicably standing unscathed amid the charred remains of burned-out homes, has been dubbed a 'beacon of hope'.

www.dailymail.co.uk

I guess I'm skeptical. I suspect that it was parked there after the fire. JMO

 

[Donswife48]

As wildfires wreaked devastation across Los Angeles, the city official in charge of the fire department was out of the picture – placed on administrative leave in December while he remains under investigation for an alleged bomb threat against City Hall earlier this year.

MSN

 

[LinasK]

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection | CAL FIRE

www.fire.ca.gov

Down to 2 fires
View attachment 558457

Those have always been the two largest. Please keep us updated on the progress.

 

[Izzylizzy]

'Fema's message to LA wildfire victims: 'carefully consider'(fundraiser) GoFundMe appeals'​

Source: The Guardian

"Like hundreds of other Angelenos, Celiceo had launched a (** **** **) for his in-laws – but rumors were floating around that its existence could prevent the family from receiving badly needed funds. On Tuesday, Fema shared a post on social media explaining that the agency cannot give aid to cover expenses that a recipient has already received help covering, whether through insurance coverage or a donations page.

That guidance is nothing new – the agency has shared the same information with communities after unprecedented rains caused severe flash floods across Death Valley national park in August 2022 and after wildfires tore through Maui in August 2023. But it’s still sparked confusion and concern among Los Angeles residents who’ve lost their homes in the deadly Eaton and Palisades fires.

The good news: having a GoFundMe does not disqualify someone from receiving disaster assistance. But the funds raised there cannot go toward covering the same costs as Fema aid – so the agency advises taking care in creating donation pages."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-n

 

[realanastasia]

Just saw the famous and hugely influential American filmmaker David Lynch passed away two days ago and the wildfires are being suggested as having played a role in his death (he was an inveterate, lifelong smoker and had significant respiratory issues—specifically emphysema— that rendered him more or less homebound and which caused him to rely on supplemental oxygen for pretty much all physical tasks).

L.A. fire forced David Lynch to leave his home before his death, report says

Last year, the filmmaker talked about his struggles with emphysema, saying he didn’t leave his home due to concerns about COVID-19 and other infections.

www.mercurynews.com

LA Wildfires May Have Contributed to David Lynch’s Death

Beloved director David Lynch lived just off of Mulholland Drive — and his death may have been related to nearby wildfires.

futurism.com

 

[DS2021]

Incidents | CAL FIRE

www.fire.ca.gov

 

[Lilibet]

I guess I'm skeptical. I suspect that it was parked there after the fire. JMO

Me too. They said they parked it there on Sunday to go surfing. So where did they go until the fire got there on Tuesday/Wednesday?
JMO

 

[iamshadow21]

Miva Friedli has been added to this article listing the deceased. She was a victim of the Eaton fire.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/11/us/california-wildfires-victims/index.html

One of the 'beloved aunts' of a large extended family, her relatives tried to reach her home but were prevented by the flames.

According to the missing alert, Miva was 93 and diagnosed with dementia. The article linked above says she's 86. I have no idea which, if either, is correct.

 

[Curious Me]

Southern California in 'uncharted territory' as extreme fire weather returns next week
Sat, January 18, 2025 at 7:49 AM PST·3 min read

Southern California in 'uncharted territory' as extreme fire weather returns next week

Another round of fire weather could last for much of next week in Southern California, bringing new dangers as Pacific Palisades, Altadena and surrounding communities struggle to assess the damage of devastating wildfires earlier this month.

www.yahoo.com

The last day downtown Los Angeles saw more than one-tenth of an inch of rain on a single day was May 5. Since May 6, there hasn't been a single day with one-tenth of an inch of rain or more, for 257 days and counting.​

 

[Curious Me]

San Diego News-- Watch the Video included in article regarding Citrotech, new citrus based fire retardant being tested in San Diego. It sounds hopeful and would be an exciting development in fire fighting. ​

Posted 5:22 PM, Jan 17, 2025

San Diego firefighter uses new fire retardant to combat wildfire risks

In an effort to combat the increasing risk of wildfires, firefighters in San Diego are employing a new tool to protect neighborhoods from fire danger

www.10news.com

SAN DIEGO - In an effort to combat the increasing risk of wildfires, firefighters in San Diego are employing a new tool to protect neighborhoods from fire danger: a citrus-based fire retardant known as Citrotech, produced by Mighty Fire Breaker.

the EPA has determined it’s environmentally friendly and safe....

Last week the humidity was only 15% and it was very uncomfortable causing me throat irritation. So dry. It's back up to 86% humidity now and my throat feels much better.

San Diego’s Weather Forecast for Saturday, January 18, 2025: Another Red Flag Warning ahead

We find ourselves sandwiched in between two Santa Ana wind events. We just got through one, leaving us with a calm weekend before another Red Flag Warning takes effect Monday through Tuesday.

www.10news.com

The Red Flag Warning is triggered Monday at 10 a.m. and lasts through Tuesday at 10 p.m. In that time, wind gusts could reach up to 45 mph inland and 60 mph in the mountains, especially late Monday.

That, combined with relative humidity dropping to the teens or even single digits in some areas.​

 

[Betty P]

Miva Friedli has been added to this article listing the deceased. She was a victim of the Eaton fire.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/11/us/california-wildfires-victims/index.html

One of the 'beloved aunts' of a large extended family, her relatives tried to reach her home but were prevented by the flames.

According to the missing alert, Miva was 93 and diagnosed with dementia. The article linked above says she's 86. I have no idea which, if either, is correct.

Very sad. I wonder why this poor, elderly woman with dementia was living alone?

 

[iamshadow21]

Very sad. I wonder why this poor, elderly woman with dementia was living alone?

Plenty do, and just have carers and family checking in on them regularly. There are levels of disability with dementia. We don't know where Miva fell on that spectrum. It's possible her dementia manifested as benign forgetfulness and she could still do most things for herself with some assistance. From what I can tell, Miva's family was large and very fond of her. Without a disaster like this, she possibly could have stayed in her own home for years more.

MOO

 

[Betty P]

Plenty do, and just have carers and family checking in on them regularly. There are levels of disability with dementia. We don't know where Miva fell on that spectrum. It's possible her dementia manifested as benign forgetfulness and she could still do most things for herself with some assistance. From what I can tell, Miva's family was large and very fond of her. Without a disaster like this, she possibly could have stayed in her own home for years more.

MOO

I helped care for my MIL as she went through her stages of dementia. The decline can be rapid. Obviously, if this poor woman was unable to escape her home when evacuation orders were issued, she shouldn’t have been living alone. I’m all for people staying in their homes instead of being sent to nursing homes, but I hope people learn something from this. They need to have emergency contingency plans.

 

[iamshadow21]

I helped care for my MIL as she went through her stages of dementia. The decline can be rapid. Obviously, if this poor woman was unable to escape her home when evacuation orders were issued, she shouldn’t have been living alone. I’m all for people staying in their homes instead of being sent to nursing homes, but I hope people learn something from this. They need to have emergency contingency plans.

We have no idea what plans they had in place. This disaster has killed dozens of people, destroyed thousands of homes, and I can guarantee that many of those families affected had plans that did not survive the chaos and devastation of a fire of this scale, moving this fast, with ember storms and hydrants running dry. Able bodied families in cars struggled to get out ahead of the flames, emergency personnel who'd lived in these areas their whole lives were getting lost and turned around.

Can communities put in place better disaster plans for helping elderly and disabled residents in times of emergency? Yes, absolutely. Could anyone have saved this victim, specifically? Personally, I doubt it. Things went too wrong, too fast in Altadena, and the death toll reflects that.

MOO

 

[Betty P]

We have no idea what plans they had in place. This disaster has killed dozens of people, destroyed thousands of homes, and I can guarantee that many of those families affected had plans that did not survive the chaos and devastation of a fire of this scale, moving this fast, with ember storms and hydrants running dry. Able bodied families in cars struggled to get out ahead of the flames, emergency personnel who'd lived in these areas their whole lives were getting lost and turned around.

Can communities put in place better disaster plans for helping elderly and disabled residents in times of emergency? Yes, absolutely. Could anyone have saved this victim, specifically? Personally, I doubt it. Things went too wrong, too fast in Altadena, and the death toll reflects that.

MOO

This poor woman wasn't the only disabled person who couldn't evacuate. Quite a few of the dead were disabled in one way or another.

This article mentions some of them, including the disabled man and his bed-ridden son who both perished. Dalyce Curry was also a sad situation

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/11/us/california-wildfires-victims/index.html

 

[iamshadow21]

This poor woman wasn't the only disabled person who couldn't evacuate. Quite a few of the dead were disabled in one way or another.

This article mentions some of them, including the disabled man and his bed-ridden son who both perished. Dalyce Curry was also a sad situation

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/11/us/california-wildfires-victims/index.html

Believe me, I am aware of them. I have been following this very closely.

People can do everything 'right', and can still lose their lives. The father and son you mentioned did exactly what disabled people who cannot self evacuate are advised to do, and they still died.

A fire on this scale is something most people who don't live in fire zones struggle to grasp. To be honest, I'm surprised the death toll is as low as it is. It was a perfect combination of things for catastrophe, heightened to an extreme level by it entering a densely populated area and the hydrants running dry. We could have been looking at hundreds dead, rather than a few dozen.

MOO