Tag Archives: LA Fires

Vigil in Altadena One Year after the Fires

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People gather at Fair Oaks Burger in Altadena one year after the fires.

It’s been a year since the fires. As bad as that catastrophe was, with blazes erupting in locations all over the LA area, and the two most devastating conflagrations in Altadena and Pacific Palisades, the year since then has been an ordeal for the thousands of survivors who are trying to rebuild their lives. Some have left LA. Some are working through the arduous process of constructing new homes. Many are still trying to figure out how to move on.

Tonight several hundred people gathered at Fair Oaks Burger in Altadena for a vigil, both to remember those who were lost and to celebrate the community’s resilience as it works to rebuild. Located in the middle of the neighborhoods that were ravaged by the Eaton Fire, Fair Oaks Burger miraculously survived unscathed. As the community struggled to recover, the restaurant partnered with a non-profit to provide free meals to those who needed them.

Before the vigil began, the crowd gathered in the parking lot.
A memorial was created to remember those who perished in the fire.
Hundreds gathered around the stage as musicians played.
Speakers talked about the losses the community had suffered, but also about its tremendous strength.


The mood was both somber and celebratory. Many of those attending lost their homes in the fire. Speakers talked about the losses they had suffered. But they also spoke of the joy they felt as the community came together to support them. It was a cold night, but the vibe was very warm. You could feel the love.

Forget the Finger-Pointing: A Fact-Based Explanation of Why LA’s Fires Were So Destructive

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Image from Cal Fire Update, January 18, 2025

No surprise that after a major disaster like LA’s fires there are a lot of people playing the blame game. Politicians are pointing fingers, TV personalities are airing their theories and social media is abuzz with angry people who have suddenly become experts on firefighting.

If you’d like to hear a real scientist give fact-based information about the circumstances that led to these fires, I urge you to listen to this interview where Adam Conover talks to climate scientist Daniel Swain. Swain works at the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, and aside from his climate expertise, he has a deep understanding of the tactics firefighters use when faced with conflagrations like what we saw in Altadena and Palisades.

Debunking L.A. Wildfire Myths with Climate Scientist Dr. Daniel Swain

The interview last about 90 minutes, but it’s well worth the time. Swain talks about the limited options firefighters actually have when fighting wind-driven fires on this scale. More importantly, he explains the role climate change played in creating the conditions that led to these holocausts.

As we should know by now, there are numerous areas in LA that are prone to fires. Many of these areas have burned repeatedly, because fire is a natural part of the ecology. As climate change continues to alter weather patterns, and LA continues to grow hotter and drier, we should expect more frequent and more intense fires.