The Southern California Wildfires
January 14, 2025
Entrepreneur & Author
“The wind shows us how close to the edge we are.”
– Joan Didion from her essay “Los Angeles Notebook” (1968)
——-
I had another article prepared for today as we start into 2025 but after living in Southern California for 34 years, I felt compelled to comment and offer a personal perspective on the devastating fires.
In July of last year, we relocated to the Dallas, Texas area, nevertheless; we are well experienced with fires in Southern California having familiarity with many and undergoing an evacuation order in 2017 from our North County San Diego home. It is hard to describe to anyone who has not been part of a fire storm and seen it up close. These fires are so immense that they create their own weather system – thus the term “fire storm.” We were fortunate and spared any loss from the fires we endured. Unfortunately, thousands of California residents will not be as lucky.
Malibu and Pacific Palisades
Malibu and Pacific Palisades is some of the most beautiful countryside in the United States. I use the term countryside because it really is an extremely rural terrain located very close to the sprawling metroplex of Los Angeles. Personally, I have spent many a weekend riding motorcycles through those canyons which frequently resulted in a stop for lunch on Mulholland Drive at the famous “Rock Store.” A greasy spoon café where on Sundays you might run into Jay Leno on one of his infamous bikes or other motorcycle enthusiasts such as Neil Diamond. It’s a low-key cool atmosphere where gear heads can talk about bikes and line up their treasured rides along the roadside.
The area, however, is much more than canyons with winding tight curves, no safety guardrails and ocean views. This is where the iconic Sunset Boulevard ends at the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), and one can find gorgeous beaches and world-class restaurants. Starter homes in this area easily run $2-3 million. You can also come across mobile parks along PCH with dwellings that provide a gentle nod to the past and offer a somewhat more reasonable price tag ($1 million) to acquire.
Altadena
The name “Altadena” is derived from Spanish, meaning “Upper Pasadena.” Reflecting its location above the city of Pasadena where the famed Rose Bowl is located. This community sits at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains and developed over the years as a rural retreat near Los Angeles. Eaton Canyon, which is the name of this particular fire, is a popular destination for hiking and nature walks. A stray bear has been known on occasion to wander into this upper to middle class community.
A Special Place that May Not Recover
These fires will be more devastating than the recent Maui fire on a purely macroeconomic level. Most insurance companies have pulled out of California leaving many residences to only have a state-run insurance option called FAIR. It is expensive, and the system has never been tested. As a result, many homeowners opt to have no insurance coverage, which is doable if you own your house and there is no mortgage. It is very common to find individuals who are real estate rich but not very well off from a liquidity standpoint with everything going into maintaining their property. If you add in the coming challenges of mudslides (when it does eventually rain), supply chain shortages, health concerns from breathing severely polluted air and lack of any infrastructure in many areas the future is uncertain.
Wildlife
More than economic destruction and frequently overlooked is the impact on wild live and domestic animals. Many of these properties are inhabited by horses, dogs, cats and wild coyotes and mountain lions. The reality for them might be even more harsh.
Nero Fiddled While Rome Burned
Sadly, and almost on cue, California State Officials decided to spend their time gaveling into session a deliberation to “Trump Proof” California allocating $50 million dollars to that end while Los Angeles burned. Literally, this week, “Nero fiddled while Rome burned.” As the saying goes, “you can’t make this stuff up.”
California is one of the most beautiful places in the United States and will always be a special place for us. Please California, hold accountable those in power responsible for the pitiful preparation and the predictable responses. Do not let them sweep this under the proverbial carpet and just point to climate change. If not for yourselves then for the irreparable damage done to the environment, ocean and wildlife. Even if you are personally an advocate against climate change these people did zero in real world terms to prepare.
Our heartfelt wishes go out to the residents affected by this tragedy and the brave first responders fighting to end it.
- To review other editions of our newsletter please see our website: GlobalCommonCents.com
- For more about my personal wonderings please see my blog: JeffCorbett.com