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It’s been six months since the firestorms of January tore through the communities of Pacific Palisades and Altadena. The worst wildfire disaster in Los Angeles history, the Palisades Fire killed 12 people, destroyed 6,837 structures and burned 23,448 acres. The Eaton Fire was even more destructive, killing 18 people, destroying 9,000 structures and burning 14,021 acres. Six months isn’t a long time, but if you weren’t directly effected by the fires, chances are they faded from memory. They are no longer headline news, despite the fact that clean up is still underway and rebuilding is still in the early stages. So at this six month milestone, we wanted to return to a central theme in our podcast, and in all of our work, and that’s preparation. We know that it saves lives, and just because the fires are out, doesn't mean there isn’t another one of the horizon. The time to begin preparing for a wildfire disaster is now. What would you pack, if a wildfire was nearing your home? What would you grab, if you only had a few minutes to save the lives of you, your loved ones, your pets, and your neighbors? That’s what this episode is all about, with our guest, MySafe:LA’s Chris Nevil.

Resources:

• KCAL News Story on Rob Hoover
• Wildfire:LA’s Make a Kit Guide
• MySafe:LA’s Pet Safety Guide
• More Prepared Kits
• SOS Survival Products

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What if saving California’s chaparral ecosystem means we’d be protecting California communities from wildfires? Richard Halsey, the founder of the California Chaparral Institute, says our state’s most abundant biome, chaparral, actually protects our communities from widespread wildfire disasters. And he says the more the state mandates the clearance of native habitats like the chaparral, the more it guarantees that wildfires will destroy communities. Halsey’s decades of fighting for the preservation of natural habitats has found him in court - twice - once in 2004 against the state’s plan to clear hundreds of acres in San Diego County after the Cedar fire, and just recently against CalFire and their plan to clear thousands of acres of wildland throughout the state. He won both lawsuits, but his battle continues. Find out about his fight to save homes from wildfire by saving California’s chaparral.

Resources:

• California Chaparral Institute
• Become a Chaparral Naturalist
• California Chaparral Institute’s Victories in Court
• California Chaparral Institute Home Protection Booklet

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MySafe:LA's Wildfire Fair took place this past Sunday at the Autry Museum of the American West in Los Angeles. Our non-profit organized the event to help residents have a one-stop solution to finding wildfire information and products. The fair featured 25 booths where attendees could learn about a wide array of products from spray-on fire retardants, to emergency vests pre-loaded with essentials you’ll need if you have to evacuate. Government agencies were also on hand including Los Angeles’ Emergency Management Department and the State’s Department of Insurance. Workshops were held throughout the day. Experts presented on landscape planning, wildfire safety for older adults, home fire retardants, how to become a Firewise site, and updates on California’s current insurance challenges. There was even a Kids' Zone where children learned hands-only CPR and home fire safety, assembled their own emergency Go Bags, and practiced how to Get Low and GO. The fair welcomed at least 300 attendees. It was so successful that we plan to hold three more this year, in LA Council Districts 1, 11, and 12.

Our Executive Officer, David Barrett, carried a microphone into the booths of some of the exhibitors to find out what they have to offer in helping keep Los Angelenos safe in the event of ll. wildfire.

Resources:

• MySafe:LA’s Kids Safety
• PERK (Phoenix Emergency Recovery Kits)
• M-Fire Technologies
• M-Fire Suppression
• WetLine Wildfire Defense
• Fire Coat
• PERCI