Many of you have seen the horrific photos and video of the wildfires currently ravaging Los Angeles County and reached out to ask if I am okay. Thankfully, my family is well…but we are not out of the woods yet.
Los Angeles Wildfires Update
A toxic combination of high winds and unseasonally dry weather (for months) has sparked numerous wildfires across Los Angeles County. Last night, another new one sprang up in the Hollywood Hills and the Pacific Palisades fire has ravaged thousands of homes.
I live in the Pasadena area, where the Eaton Fire is burning out of control, with containment still at 0%.
Our house is still standing and we have not been asked to evacuate: we are in an evacuation warning zone, however. Meanwhile, my mother and uncle, who both live nearby, have been without power for 24 hours.
The sobering thing? We hiked through Eaton Canyon just a week ago…our friends live nearby in Altadena. They lost their house: all that remains is a chimney.
My family took a short holiday after Christmas and earlier this week while Heidi and the kids flew home, I flew to the East Coast for business…so while I’m looking out the window at sub-freezing temperatures and a blanket of snow, they are enduring harsh winds and the worst fires in the recorded history of LA.
Schools have been canceled for the rest of the week and many businesses are closed.
No exaggeration: I am uneasy over all this. The nature of my commitment here makes it impossible for me to be home, but I have instructed Heidi to gather up our artwork, passports, and other important documents should there be a fire. I’ve also booked them a hotel room for tonight, though we have many family and friends who have graciously offered to house us.
The weather improved overnight, but the fire is still out of control…I take nothing for granted.
Since this is a travel blog, I’ll also note that flights are continuing to operate out of 3/4 of the Southern California airports, including Los Angeles International, Orange County, and Ontario. Most flights into Burbank-Hollywood are suspended. All airlines have issued travel waivers for those traveling out of these four airports.
Please stay safe out there.
image: Mark Viniello
I am glad to hear that your and your family are safe.
Glad to hear you all are doing okay. Hopefully the fires get contained soon and things can start to heal.
Follow the advice of your acquaintance in Tennessee, move out of that sinking ship.
It was their house that I referenced above that burned down. 🙁
Ya, move to safe Magatard land Florida. Oh wait.
I have been thinking of you and I am glad to hear your family is safe. Get out of there. It is not worth to stay.
I feel for you Matthew. You must be going insane, seeing/hearing all of the reports on this disaster with your family there and you away. I’ve known that feeling of frustration and anxiety during Spring/Summer severe weather outbreaks in the Midwest when tornado warnings were issued for our area and I’m in a hotel 1,000 miles away. Hopefully, your family stays safe and you can get home soon. And…. hopefully this horrible situation with the fires will be squelched soon.
Seems like you should be expecting incompetence given you live in a socialist state.
Highest taxes (check)
Free healthcare for illegals (check)
Quickly pass bills to ensure said illegals don’t get deported under Trump (check)
Pass bill giving millions of dollars to attorney general to “fight trump agenda (check)
Cut fire department budget (check)
DEI hire to be fire cheif and prioritize DEI over firefighting capabilities (check)
Ensure inadequate water supply, hydrants with no water (check)
Yesp seems like Cali got their priorities right. Anyone who chooses to stay there shouldn’t be surprised by this outcome.
I have no use for Trump but one good thing is all these conpanies are getting rid of DEI becauae of him. What a blessing.
F*ck you!
You are a pitiful human being.
He is likely correct .
Well he posted 4 oher blogs after this today. Pretty sure if his world was turned upside down, that wouldn’t be the case. He chooses to live in a communist state amd supports the harboring of illegals!!!
@Your daddy … You forgot :
(a) incompetent politicians ;
(b) donations to politicians unaccountable ;
(c) unrealistic hollywood types preening whilst congratulating themselves for their political correctness ;
(d) poor street maintenance ;
(e) illiterate and pot-head young people .
Thinking of you and your family. Thank you for the update
Glad that your family is well for now and that it will continue to be well until the danger passes.
Thoughts and prayers with you and your family Matt! And yes, those still count for something even though they are something the left demonizes now.
Personally flew into PSP yesterday, top 5 roughest flights ever from a turbulence standpoint. And arrived at the hotel to no power but it came back on by 6. Nasty winds out here as well.
The latest news is that the Governor is unlocking $ 1 million in emergency DEI funds for Malibu .
However , nothing for Palm Springs as they did not donate to the campaign .
Hoping for the best for all those in the path of these fires and at risk because of the situation.
Heard that even the water is meant to be boiled (and probably best if also filtered before being boiled) for use in the area.
Sorry to hear that bud. It’s terrible to see people lives and homes destroyed. Not much I can do here in Houston tx as a low income earner other than donate a few bucks to the wildfires every week at the supermarket checkout.
Funny this arrogant pos talk about his house burning down but atill manages 5 other useless posts today.
Guess your house is still standing after you last post about how you love cali and high taxes and bunch of regulations and what people to feel sorry for you for wildfires which could of easily been prevented in any other state. Mr. DEI. Oh yeah i hies Augutus or whatever horrible name you gave him still can’t watch cartoons but may he can understand that living in a far left state means his house burns down!!!
May your pitiful anger and hatred not cause you more suffering in the future than whatever pitiful upbringing you had to make you into the sad being you are today.
Sincerely wishing you the best of luck in becoming a better person in the future than you are today.
Right-wing brain rot is real.
It’s called living in reality.
Maybe you shitlibs should try doing that.
May your pitiful anger and hatred not cause you more suffering in the future than whatever pitiful experiences you had that made you into the sad being you are today. Your parents ought to be ashamed of you, but they also created you as the angry, hateful little person you are.
Sincerely wishing you the best of luck in you taking responsibility for yourself in becoming a better person in the future than you are today.
Thinking of you and hoping your home remains unscathed. We lived in Altadena for about 12 years until recently and are heartbroken on seeing the devastation there.
Let it burn.
Sodom and Gomorrah
Thoughts and prayers for everyone involved-it looks terrifying. I don’t understand the hate and vitriol expressed above but hope these fires are extinguished with the least amount of harm to life and property and that mercy and grace can be extended to all affected.
Stay safe!
@Matthew – Has the brush and/or any flammable plants, mulch, etc. been removed from the area immediately adjoining your house? I read how The Getty survived the fire by keeping potentially flammable things away from buildings.
Indeed, and also commercial style construction. Conventionally constructed wood framed houses with open eves and gable vents in the attic are a recipe for disaster in high fire danger areas. With all the political infighting and finger pointing, the most overlooked remedy is changes in building code for construction in urban-wildland interface areas.
The irony about the Altadena fire is even very new commercial construction went up in flames. Look at the Aldi there.
All stucco/concrete exterior, few windows. Flat modern roof.
Nowhere near dry brush. Other buildings adjacent not burning.
There was some ivy along the side of the building, leading up to the roof. Maybe that’s what did it.
It’s sad. I shopped at that Aldi…
Going to miss Fox’s and The Little Red Hen Coffee Shop…
Hearing that Caruso may buy up land and do a whole new development there. We will see…
“I have instructed Heidi…”? Is she your direct report?
Relax. She probably asked him what items she should take. And he told her. No need to overthink it, Eric.
A fire is now bordering those rough areas close to Braemar Country Club.