LA was my home for 15 years, and I still feel a sense of belonging there. These last fires were nothing short of apocalyptic. I lived in Malibu for a bit and went through two fires there. What I can tell you is the ferocity of these events is beyond anything I had ever experienced, and these were smaller, although devastating, fires. The heat, the wind, the sound are all on a scale that is hard to comprehend. One of the reasons my wife and I left was that I never wanted to go through that again. My view of winding canyon roads in the hills of LA became tainted with fear, in the same way, my feelings around aircraft over cities after 9/11 caused an emotional gasp for years afterward.
Unequivocally, I will say that the LA Fire Department is one of the most professional, well-trained, well-equipped organizations on earth. They are very, very good at what they do, much of which is dangerous. I am not an aviation expert, but I have seen what looked like a DC10, a huge commercial airplane flying inside a canyon to do a drop. A canyon is a tight place, with crazy winds around these fires. The fact that a pilot would elect to do a drop like that is mind-blowing. To see helicopters come in close, bank hard to make a water drop saving a home, is just amazing. The crews on the ground are equally devoted to the task. Twenty-four-hour shifts in a fire suit in that heat is what I would assume to be beyond the level of human endurance. This is heroism, these are people stepping up in a dangerous situation to help their fellow citizens.
Having had a front-row seat to the 9/11 attacks, and living in NYC for the years afterward, I witnessed a wonderful change in the level of community kindness. People were genuinely concerned for others and demonstrated it with their actions. I see the same thing happening now in LA. We have friends who lost their homes and are out there helping people with less means get the things they need to live life again. As has been often said, it seems to take a tragedy to get us to look outside of our immediate bubble of self-interest and help others. The question is, what is preventing us from caring in the absence of calamity? Do we really need to ask someone what they need, rather than just do something? Asking what someone else needs is often an additional burden when just showing up with a hot meal may calm the nerves of a family in crisis. My new motto is: If you see something, do something. Do it with a smile. If it is the wrong thing, they will let you know. They will also know you care, and so will you.
Onward and upward,
David
