There’s another red flag warning in Los Angeles this week, even as the smoke hasn’t cleared from the Palisades and Eaton fires which started two weeks ago.
There’s always silver-linings that come pared and pinned to the other side of California’s big disasters.
A lot of iconic coastal homes, beach houses, were unfortunately also counted among the huge number of all structures lost to these fires. Those home’s sudden absence from view, save for the smoldering wreckage left in charred twisted piles where foundations and floors once stood, often in reach of the highest non-tsunami level waves, offer a, sure to be short lived, opportunity to catch a PCH level glimpse of the nearby coastline, that likely no longer exists in anyone’s living memory.
Urge anyone who finds themselves over that way, to lock in that view; it won’t be there long.
Thanks for this very fine reporting as always. Our hearts break watching this all happen. Of the many reasons we chose to leave So. Cal., the weather, fires and lack of attention to their causes is chief among them.
There are days in January and February when you can go for a hike in shorts up into the hills and see the ocean, and you forget all the other stuff. This January, unfortunately, is not like that.
We just got hit with two new fees added to our property tax bill from the LA County Fire Department. They add up to over a $300 increase in fees added to my property tax bill. So much for property 13, but I digress. It's obvious from the recent fires not much has been done or learned since the Bel Air fires of 1961. I suspect these new fees will go to pensions and benefits for the fire fighters. I don't expect to see any change in more reliable fire water systems or regular system inspections to test for readiness or to buy more effective fire fighting equipment. One thing will change. I will get poorer because of the fees and the increased fire insurance costs. Maybe leaving California is the way to go. It's getting too expensive to live here. I am a natural born Californian. Lived here all my life. But now, I am contemplating leaving the state.
thank you for the summary! i haven't seen such detail and/or balance thru this mess.
my beef with local city management (Claremont, CA) is how they routinely allow their default property setback of 10 foot to be changed to only 6 foot for many home renovations. I swear it's the lack of honest setback that largely enables one home fire to ignite a second home so easily.
my neighbors built a true monstrocity and i compained to the city planning (before it was even built) about the lack of setback and how the fire department's recommendation of "10 foot from foliage" could not be adhered to. I was going to plant trees to help hide the size of the new 65 foot tall "home edition" (whole house one wall standing "second floor" addition). I sent writen notice to the city and my insurance company for the record.
the city told me "we're not in a high fire danger zone so this rule or recommendation does not apply". i also pointed out the new home with the new giant second floor only has one stairwell, and one exit in the event of emergency. They still said "we're not in a high fire danger zone...".
i would not be surprised if such an attitude continues in SoCal cities in spite of several other fires near here (Yorba Linda 10+ years ago?) along with recent ones seeming to indicate home proximity and foiliage control is part of the problem
Claremont is not in a high fire danger zone? The City leaders better get off the bong. Claremont is up against the foothills and full of brush and foilage of all sorts. Its all about property tax income. Of course they will approve that monstrosity next to you. It's all about Dr. Green$$$$$
BINGO Phillip! and that even happened before my neighbor's monstrocity was approved to be built. i think Claremont lost around 16 homes in that fire from around 2002/3? but hey, i jusy live here and am the one wondering if aside from what i can do for prevention, how much will i need to do to compensate for neighbors who don't care?
I don’t care that you’re a Dodgers fan. You give good insights 🤙🏼
Very Informative. Thanks for posting!!
Great story Jane! And shout out to the Salvation Army - praying for rain and recovery
Jane, thanks for this insightful column.
There’s always silver-linings that come pared and pinned to the other side of California’s big disasters.
A lot of iconic coastal homes, beach houses, were unfortunately also counted among the huge number of all structures lost to these fires. Those home’s sudden absence from view, save for the smoldering wreckage left in charred twisted piles where foundations and floors once stood, often in reach of the highest non-tsunami level waves, offer a, sure to be short lived, opportunity to catch a PCH level glimpse of the nearby coastline, that likely no longer exists in anyone’s living memory.
Urge anyone who finds themselves over that way, to lock in that view; it won’t be there long.
Great perspective of prior disasters.
As always, setting us straight with the numbers, and historical context. Thank you!
Thanks for this very fine reporting as always. Our hearts break watching this all happen. Of the many reasons we chose to leave So. Cal., the weather, fires and lack of attention to their causes is chief among them.
Well done.
Insightful. Thanks for posting.
Thanks Jane 👍 Salvation Army done ✅
THANK YOU!
After reading your article and some of the comments, why would anyone want to live there?
There are days in January and February when you can go for a hike in shorts up into the hills and see the ocean, and you forget all the other stuff. This January, unfortunately, is not like that.
Even Jane Wells got fed up with LA County and moved to the Paso Robles area.
We just got hit with two new fees added to our property tax bill from the LA County Fire Department. They add up to over a $300 increase in fees added to my property tax bill. So much for property 13, but I digress. It's obvious from the recent fires not much has been done or learned since the Bel Air fires of 1961. I suspect these new fees will go to pensions and benefits for the fire fighters. I don't expect to see any change in more reliable fire water systems or regular system inspections to test for readiness or to buy more effective fire fighting equipment. One thing will change. I will get poorer because of the fees and the increased fire insurance costs. Maybe leaving California is the way to go. It's getting too expensive to live here. I am a natural born Californian. Lived here all my life. But now, I am contemplating leaving the state.
thank you for the summary! i haven't seen such detail and/or balance thru this mess.
my beef with local city management (Claremont, CA) is how they routinely allow their default property setback of 10 foot to be changed to only 6 foot for many home renovations. I swear it's the lack of honest setback that largely enables one home fire to ignite a second home so easily.
my neighbors built a true monstrocity and i compained to the city planning (before it was even built) about the lack of setback and how the fire department's recommendation of "10 foot from foliage" could not be adhered to. I was going to plant trees to help hide the size of the new 65 foot tall "home edition" (whole house one wall standing "second floor" addition). I sent writen notice to the city and my insurance company for the record.
the city told me "we're not in a high fire danger zone so this rule or recommendation does not apply". i also pointed out the new home with the new giant second floor only has one stairwell, and one exit in the event of emergency. They still said "we're not in a high fire danger zone...".
i would not be surprised if such an attitude continues in SoCal cities in spite of several other fires near here (Yorba Linda 10+ years ago?) along with recent ones seeming to indicate home proximity and foiliage control is part of the problem
Hmmmm. What part of SoCal is not in a high fire zone?
Claremont is not in a high fire danger zone? The City leaders better get off the bong. Claremont is up against the foothills and full of brush and foilage of all sorts. Its all about property tax income. Of course they will approve that monstrosity next to you. It's all about Dr. Green$$$$$
BINGO Phillip! and that even happened before my neighbor's monstrocity was approved to be built. i think Claremont lost around 16 homes in that fire from around 2002/3? but hey, i jusy live here and am the one wondering if aside from what i can do for prevention, how much will i need to do to compensate for neighbors who don't care?