January 8, 2026 • 31 mins
It's been a year since a series of wildfires engulfed parts of Southern California, leveling entire parts of Pacific Palisades and Altadena, and leaving a path of destruction and unanswered questions in their wake.
Now, a year later, residents in both burn areas are working to rebuild their homes and their lives, navigating bureaucratic issues and other challenges.
The KFI News Team revisits the events of last January and the work that has, and hasn't been done since.
LA Wildfires: One Year Later brings you stories from people affected by the fires, the challenges they continue to face, and the path forward.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand. It
was a week that changed lives forever.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
They didn't deploy, no adequate excuse, homes destroyed.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Do you regret coming the fire department budget by millions
of dollars?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Not a fair Communities up ended, none of us.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
We're aware of the water issues with the reservoirs.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
When fires raged in southern California, KFI AM six forty
was there.
Speaker 5 (00:27):
The push to come back stronger than before is still going.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
One year later. We will rebuild, We still are.
Speaker 6 (00:33):
This is the La Fires one year later.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
One year later, and now your host Michael.
Speaker 7 (00:39):
Monks KFIAM six forty five, everywhere on the iHeartRadio app
This is La Fires one year later. I'm Michael Monks
from KFI News. It has been one year since powerful
Santa Ana winds blew across extremely dry conditions in southern California,
strengthening multiple wildfires, including two that would leave a swath
(01:01):
of devastation in two parts of La County, essentially erasing
Pacific Palisades and Altadena. There were warnings for days leading
up to this event. The conditions were ripe for destruction,
no rain, high winds. As KFI was broadcasting January seventh,
twenty twenty five, the initial reports came in slowly.
Speaker 8 (01:22):
We got reports out of the Santa Monica area. We've
got a brush fire in the Palisades Highlands right now.
You can see the smoke. Not sure about the size
of this baby. They're usually quick to step to those
there near the Palisades.
Speaker 7 (01:37):
But it didn't take long for the severity of the
situation to take hold.
Speaker 8 (01:41):
We now have a fire, Palisades fire is what they're
calling it.
Speaker 7 (01:45):
It started small in the Palisades, but with the conditions,
the fire was poised to grow quickly.
Speaker 8 (01:50):
This thing is living up to its potential, they say.
Right now, the crews on the ground are furiously engaged
in structure protection.
Speaker 7 (01:59):
And then it grew even more.
Speaker 8 (02:00):
The latest is that they're seeing spotting ahead of this
thing a mile to three quarters of a mile out,
which was the absolute fear. When you're thinking about the
winds and the gusts that are coming with this wind event,
that'll take a fire and carry it and keep carrying
it well.
Speaker 9 (02:17):
And that's well. I mean there's a couple thousand homes
well within that range. People who were listening started to
call into KFI and the early moments of the wildfires
to tell host Gary and Shannon what they were witnessing.
Speaker 8 (02:30):
Caesar works at Sunset Smash and joins us. Now, Caesar
crazy over there right now.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
I bet it is very concerning at this point because
there's black smuk, it seems like there's still in the area,
and everyone.
Speaker 10 (02:43):
Out of here is just concern about what was going on.
Speaker 7 (02:46):
Taking picture and then everyone's fears quickly became reality. A
woman calling into the John Cobalt Show was stuck in
a traffic jam of people fleeing the palisades.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
There's a palm tree on fire. So like we're kind
of all sitting here in the car and watching. I
mean it's like fifty feet away.
Speaker 6 (03:05):
I think, oh, that's that's really frightening.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
It's really frightening. It's really really frightening.
Speaker 6 (03:13):
And you can't get away from it, no.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Because we're more locked in. It's kind of like, you know,
we see those terrible movies where everybody's running from something
and all the cars are stuck. That's kind of how
it is. Yeah, Oh my gosh, Yeah, this tree is really.
Speaker 6 (03:29):
It's on the corner or on the in the Median.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
On Palisades Drive and sunset directly on the corner. There's
a and I don't know if you can hear all
the honkings.
Speaker 11 (03:40):
I can, yeah, I saw on TV there was a palm.
Speaker 6 (03:45):
Tree in the median that was.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, it's right now. I just I just don't know,
Like people are getting out of their cars now, what
if you think, yes, yes, all.
Speaker 6 (04:05):
Right, go okay okay.
Speaker 7 (04:08):
Hours later, the fire and Eaton Canyon consumed Alta Dina,
the sounds of heavy flames with the entire blocks explosions
echoing through the canyons. Terrified residents of the Palisades and
Altadina and other affected communities ran for their lives and
watched in horror as their neighborhoods disappeared. It's really hard
(04:30):
to process what what a town that's been decidated by
fire looks like.
Speaker 12 (04:34):
I knew that, even though it's much closer than I've
ever seen before with all these fires, especially when I'm
you know, in the middle of Hollywood, it doesn't really
feel like, oh, that is going to happen right here,
until all of a sudden, I go out on the
balcony and they're playing.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
On the side of hill.
Speaker 6 (04:48):
This is really challenging for firefighters to engage the fire.
Speaker 11 (04:52):
Mother nature is basically a blow court right now, and
we are prioritizing life safety and saving instructions where we can.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
And my husband saw it was maybe five feet high,
and then the.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Gusts came and I just blew up.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
We haven't had any rain in the mountains so dry.
Speaker 13 (05:07):
It'll just go on a buff You look left and
there's nothing, and then you look right and it's perfectly fine.
It's really weird. But I went back past Methodist preschool
and it was I've never seen anything like that. It
was in gulf and flames. It was so much scary.
Speaker 7 (05:20):
I reported from this neighborhood in Altadena that was reduced
to rubble.
Speaker 14 (05:33):
I'm standing in front of the mari Closa town Homes
for rent. This sign has no damage to it at all, whatsoever.
Mere feet behind the sign advertising the town homes. There
are no town homes off They're burned to the ground.
There is smoke coming off of the rubble that used
to be these homes.
Speaker 7 (05:52):
In the end, more than thirty people were dead, thousands
of buildings lost, and a total cost of destruction estimated.
It between a eleven and seventy six billion dollars, and
a year later, the wounds are still raw and the
scars remain. People are worried their communities will never bounce back.
Speaker 11 (06:11):
One year after they eat and fire devastated out the Dina.
Rebuilding is beginning, but many lots remain bare. Victims who
lost their homes have had to decide sell their land
and leave, or stay and fight to rebuild. Kim Jones
family made the tough decision to sell. An LLC bought
their land.
Speaker 15 (06:28):
It's perfect timing for people to come over and so bad.
Speaker 11 (06:32):
Some victims claim a gold rush is underway by developers.
Chen U is staying and rebuilding.
Speaker 16 (06:37):
Everybody lives on the street have some type of feeling
towards these special homes.
Speaker 7 (06:43):
Some residents of the Palisades rallied on the anniversary, an
event they called they let Us Burn. Jeremy Pidauer was there.
Speaker 16 (06:51):
It's not easy to look at the community that you
love so much and see it burned to the ground.
It's a it's a hard reality to face. It's a
hard reality to understand the impact that that's had on
your neighbors. It's a hard reality to know that so
many of them cannot afford to come back. About fifty
percent of our community. I don't believe to move back.
I don't think they have any chance of getting back
here under any circumstances.
Speaker 7 (07:12):
KFI News brings you La Fires one year later. We
look at what's believed to have led to the devastation. Next,
a man charged with arson, purposely setting a fire on
New Year's Day, and a fire department accused of not
addressing it fully resulting in the Palisades fire, and a
utility sort of accepting responsibility for the eaten fire, and
(07:34):
later the trauma and psychological damage suffered by affected residents.
Federal lawmakers from outside California investigating the local and state response,
and the challenge faced by people whose homes didn't burn
down but are still unlivable.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 7 (08:01):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is La Fires one year later. I'm Michael Monks
from KFI News. On this anniversary of the deadly, destructive,
and devastating Wildfire's Governor Newsom has issued a proclamation declaring
a day of remembrance, ordering flags at all state buildings
to be flown at half staff. Newsom says, we recognize
(08:23):
the resilience of survivors who continue to rebuild, often carrying
grief alongside hope. He says, California will not turn away.
We will continue to stand with these communities until recovery
is complete, homes are rebuilt, and lives are restored as
fully as possible. Eli's response to the Palisades fire led
to criticism of Mayor Bass, who was in the African
(08:46):
country of Ghana when the flames broke out, dispatched there
by President Biden to attend the inauguration of the president there.
Bass in turn directed her own ire at LA Fire
Chief Kristen Crowley, criticizing the fire department's leader and ultimately
firing her.
Speaker 15 (09:00):
Acting in the best interest of Los Angeles public safety
and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
I just met with Chief Crowley and removed her as
fire chief. Our firefighters acted heroically during the Palisades fire,
and they act heroically every single day.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
That is without question.
Speaker 15 (09:22):
Bringing new leadership to the fire department is what they
and the people of Los Angeles deserve. As you know,
I have called for a full investigation of everything leading
up to January seventh. A necessary step to the investigation
was the President of the Fire Commission telling Chief Crowley
(09:42):
to do an after action report on the fires. The
fire chief refused. We all know that a thousand firefighters
that could have been on duty on the morning the
fires broke were instead sent home on Chief Crowley's watch.
His actions required hr removal.
Speaker 7 (10:02):
Crowley appealed to the city council to keep her job,
but they voted to support the mayor's decision. Following the
appointment of an interim Chief, Bass chose how May Moore
for the permanent job. In the interim, we learned a
significant development into the potential calls of the Palisades fire.
Betteral authorities announced the arrest of an uber driver, Jonathan
rindernackt in the accused of starting an earlier fire on purpose.
(10:25):
That fire was known as the Lockman fire. Reported just
after midnight on New Year's Day, First Assistant US Attorney
Bill A. Saley announced the arrest and the alleged connection
between the two fires.
Speaker 17 (10:36):
Although firefighters suppressed the blaze, the fire continued to smolder
and burn underground within the root structure of the dense vegetation,
so that fire started on January first, and it smoldered
underground for about a week until on January seventh, heavy
(10:57):
wins caused this underground fire to surface and spread above ground,
causing what became known as the Palisades Fired, one of
the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles City history.
Speaker 7 (11:12):
The Only Times later reported it had obtained text messages
from LA City firefighters who expressed their worries about leaving
the scene of the Lachman fire too early. When him
Moore appeared before the city Council to be confirmed as
the new LAFD chief, he was asked about these messages,
but also addressed it in his opening remarks.
Speaker 18 (11:30):
At the same time, I recognized that we were at
a crossroads, not only for our department, but for public trust.
The media attention following the January wildfires has raised real concerns,
both within our ranks and across our city. I understand
these concerns. I believe that addressing them openly and honestly
(11:51):
is essential for restoring confidence in our leadership. That's why
I fully support Mayor Bass's request for a thorough, independent
investigation into the Apartment's response to the Lachman's fire.
Speaker 7 (12:02):
But days later that his first City Fire Commission meeting
as Chief More criticized the media reports.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Something that's been very frustrating for me as fire chief
and through this process, is to watch my friends in
the media smear our name and the work that our
firefighters did to combat one of the most intense fires,
the Palisades, the wind driven monstrosity that it was that
(12:29):
devastated a community in the city of Los Angeles. And
our firefighters stood out there under these horrendous conditions fighting
those fires, chasing flames as they were going three miles
down wind, trying to save people and save their homes.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
And the audacity for people to.
Speaker 18 (12:49):
Make comments and say that there's text messages out there
that says that we did not put the fire out,
that we did not extinguish the fire.
Speaker 6 (13:00):
And I have yet to see any of those text messages.
Speaker 7 (13:02):
And then this week, the week of the anniversary of
the fires, Chief More was at another City Fire Commission
meeting and acknowledged a potential connection between the Lockman and
Palisades fires.
Speaker 18 (13:13):
At the time, fire companies were directed to pick up
hoose the department genuinely believed the fire was fully extinguished.
That was based on the information, conditions, and procedures in
place at that moment. That belief, excuse me, that belief
guided the operational decision making that was made. However, the
(13:35):
outcome has made it incredibly clear that our mop up
and verification process needed to be stronger.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
We have to own that, and I do.
Speaker 18 (13:47):
As a result, we've already changed our mop up procedures
and we formally incorporated the use of drone technology to
enhance post suppression verification, situational awareness and detection of residual
will heat. These changes are now in place to help
ensure that this will never happen again. Please understand, the
(14:10):
Palisades and Lockman fires were defining moments for this department.
They unfortunately exposed real limitations, limitations and system capacity during
periods of extreme demand, including challenges related to staffing, availability,
resource placement, and the speed at which conditions can change.
Speaker 6 (14:29):
During in driven fiery.
Speaker 18 (14:30):
Events, some resources were delayed, some response times were longer
than we strive for.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
Our surge capacity was overstretched.
Speaker 18 (14:42):
These are difficult realities, but acknowledging them is essential to
improving how we operate to be very clear, these challenges
were not the result of failures by our firefighters that
were on the line. They reflect leadership, decision jis, legacy systems,
and longstanding structural constraints that must evolve to meet today's
(15:06):
risk environment.
Speaker 7 (15:07):
More also acknowledged the lafd's after action report was deeply
and repeatedly edited to protect leadership from criticism. As for
the Eaten Fire, residents and now the federal government have
accused Southern California Edison and its allegedly faulty power lines
for sparking that fire. The utility has been working with
some residents offering potential settlements, but some residents and consumer
(15:31):
rights advocates have argued so Cal Edison isn't offering enough.
The US Department of Justice has sued so Cal Edison
for damages and costs related to the containment of the
Eaten Fire and the restoration of the land up next.
One local family lost their home in the Eaten Fire
and their business was devastated by another fire the same day,
the Sunset Fire that burned in the Hollywood Hills, and
(15:53):
later federal lawmakers from outside California turned their attention to
the wildfires of January twenty twenty twenty five as La
Fires one year later, continues.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
You're listening to KFI Am six forty on demand.
Speaker 7 (16:09):
This is La Fires one year later, Michael Monks from
KFI News. When those wildfires broke out last January, we
all saw that destruction in the Eton and the Palisades fires,
but those weren't the only fires. One local family lost
their home and Alta Dina due to the Eaton fire
and saw serious damage to their business because of another.
(16:30):
Limelight Liquors co owner Marina Schneider joins us to talk
about that experience. Marina, thank you so much for taking
some time to talk with KFI.
Speaker 19 (16:38):
Thank you too.
Speaker 7 (16:39):
This is a rare occasion to get to talk to
someone who suffered losses in multiple fires. Back in January.
You lost a home because of the Eton fire and
then the fire and Runyon Canyon around the same time.
It was officially called the Sunset fire. That also damaged
your business. Situation, just a terrible situation. Why don't we
(17:02):
start with your personal life and what happened to your
home in Alta Dina. Take us back to those terrible
days in January and the experience you had.
Speaker 20 (17:13):
So yeah, starting from my home in Alta Diina, we
came from work around six o'clock PM and the energy
was out and we were prepared because the wins were
so high, like the wins were about one hundred miles
per hour, so we've been warned that we have to
(17:36):
we might have to evacuate. And about seven o'clock it
was no warning yet, but we've been expecting the warning.
But around seven o'clock we look out of the window
and we saw the whole Itan Canyon was on a
(17:57):
fire in front of us, and it was really shocking because,
like I said, people didn't get the evocation order yet,
so we could not believe our eyes. It was about
maybe two minutes by car, so with the winds about
(18:17):
one hundred miles per hour, it could reach our house
in minutes.
Speaker 7 (18:22):
You were seeing this before you received any notifications that
you should.
Speaker 20 (18:26):
Leave, yes, before.
Speaker 6 (18:30):
That seems rather shocked.
Speaker 20 (18:32):
Yes, it was shocking because we did not pack our
things and we did not we could not take anything.
We just had to open a door and run out,
jump in our cars, and our daughter was with us
at that time, and we just took our computer and passports.
(18:54):
We did not even have time to take anything at all?
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Where did you go?
Speaker 20 (19:00):
So we drove like nowhere. We had like nowhere to go.
We don't have like we don't have another property or anything,
and we don't have a family here, but we have
a few friends and it happened. Then we are just
driving somewhere far away from the fire, and our friend
(19:20):
the calling cars and he said, I saw it on news.
Would you want to come to my house and stay over?
And we said, of course yes, So we drove to
his house and in it was in the Studio city area,
and we stay overnight. And next day, like I said,
(19:44):
the fire happened in Ranyan Kanyon, Kenyan, which is close
to our store and close to the house where we
were staying. This is the Holly Hills, Yes, yes, this one.
So our friends started to park and they were planning
(20:05):
to evacuate, and we had to go somewhere else.
Speaker 14 (20:10):
Wow.
Speaker 20 (20:11):
But eventually our friends did not have to evacuate and
they stayed in the house.
Speaker 7 (20:18):
I think it's hard for folks to remember, because we
do talk a lot about the devastation from the Eaten
fire and the Palisades fire. Because of the aftermath that
we can still very much. See Unfortunately, but when you
go back to those that week in January, there were
a lot of fires and a lot of people were
sent running for their lives or at least for their
(20:40):
safety because of what was happening all across southern California.
Now you had to do it twice back to back.
You had to leave your own home, you took shelter
with a friend, and then they had to leave. What
were you feeling in that moment.
Speaker 20 (20:55):
It was a total devastation because it was a feeling
that nowhere to go.
Speaker 7 (21:01):
So as you're making your way trying to find a
place to just gather yourself, protect yourself, all of these
fires popping up around the region. You own a business,
you and your husband, Alexander. You have owned Limelight Liquors
for a couple of decades now and it's close to
(21:21):
Hollywood and this has suffered as well. What can you
tell us about the situation with your business.
Speaker 20 (21:29):
Yes next day after the fire, or when we've been
staying with our friends, we found out that there is
a Ranian knion fire by the store and we called
our employees because they've been working, and we said close
the store right now, don't even like risk your life,
(21:50):
just close it down and go home. And we've been
so worried that they would get home on time because
the fire was spreading very quick to Hollywood Boulevard from
the Ranian Canyon. And then, like I said, it was
so much pollution and air. We had to open a
(22:12):
store next day for the people who didness ever couate,
because still some of the people needed us and we
probably work. Yeah, we experienced the future loss loss in sales.
And we've been very worried about our community because they
had to stay in those apartments where the air was black.
(22:38):
The pollution was unimaginable, and we stayed. We decided not
to leave and stay with them and serve them as
much as we can, and the pollution continue for a month.
It was really hard to breathe. And also for people
(22:59):
who live, not only for us.
Speaker 7 (23:01):
It's been almost a year since all of this devastation.
What is life like for you now?
Speaker 20 (23:09):
We actually we are arranging a place for now, the
apartment in the Studio City. We are lucky that we
had insurance in a house, so our insurance is helping
us to pay the rent. And after all this devastation,
(23:31):
we thought like we would never go back to our tagina,
but eventually we decided we will rebuild because people started
to rebuild and they still have a little hope for
the future, and we are trying to do that right now.
Speaker 7 (23:57):
Up next, they survived the fires, but now live with
a lad trauma and anxiety of the experience.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 7 (24:11):
This is LA Fire's one year leader on Michael Monks
from KFI News. The insurance market in California can already
be challenging for homeowners, navigating limited opportunities that don't offer
enough coverage, or policies that cost too much, or opting
for the state's Fair Plan, which customers say is a
bit of all those things, limited and expensive and not enough.
(24:32):
But in spite of that, it's become one of the
largest insurers in the state. The San Francisco Chronicle reported
recently Fair Plan policyholders must pay for an additional policy
it's called a difference in conditions in order to be
fully protected. More than two hundred thousand homeowners in the
state are doing so. The Chronicle report compared California to Nevada,
(24:53):
where insurance companies have stopped offering coverage for wildfires. Nevada
has no equivalent to California's Fair Plan, and often called
the insurance of last Resort. People affected by the wildfire's
last January and ones that happened earlier all across the
state know the difficulties of rebuilding, what insurance is difficult
to get, and when it doesn't cover enough when you
(25:14):
have it. California has had to take similar actions so
homeowners could have insurance protection against earthquakes. The insurance situation
in La County since January last year has been so
dire the Board of Supervisors has opened a civil investigation
into State Farm, saying the company's handling of wildfire claims
has been wrought with delays, under payments, and denials of
(25:35):
legitimate claims. It's another factor of the high cost of
living in California and another source of worry for homeowners
inside and outside of burn zones. The experience of last
January's wildfires have scarred the land and survivors. Psyche kfi's
Eileen Gonzalez has that story.
Speaker 21 (25:54):
It was a terrifying experience, and a year of healing
hasn't taken away the emotional scars. Of the day, Seventy
seven year old Baki Cahill lost her home and nearly
her life.
Speaker 19 (26:04):
I wake up very early at you know, three four
in the morning, and immediately it's like fear. It's a
feeling in my chest. Maybe that's what they call a
panic attack.
Speaker 21 (26:19):
Baki was living in the part of Altadina that didn't
receive an evacuation warning, but fortunately her daughter was tracking
the fire from across town.
Speaker 19 (26:27):
My daughter called me at three in the morning and said, Mom, Mom,
wake up. She said, go outside, go look.
Speaker 21 (26:33):
Through the thick smoke. Bachi realized she needed to leave quickly.
Speaker 19 (26:37):
There were embers in the air.
Speaker 22 (26:39):
I mean there were pieces of charcoal rolling down the
street on fire.
Speaker 21 (26:44):
She took her animals and left in the nick of time.
An hour later, her house had burned to the ground,
a lifetime of memories incinerated. But for many neighbors a
loss was much greater.
Speaker 19 (26:54):
It's terrifying. And then to find out that eighteen people
in your immediate neighborhood burned to death. They were either
asleep in their beds or unable to walk invalids.
Speaker 21 (27:08):
While those who lost loved ones, homes and communities bear
the biggest emotional wounds. Even those who weren't directly impacted
by the fires may have lasting anxiety. Mary Stark's, a
clinical psychologist, says although her family safely evacuated from smoke
in Venice, her six year old daughter named fire as
her biggest fear.
Speaker 10 (27:27):
Number one was that a fire was going to happen again.
I didn't think it was still in her sinking. It's
definitely still on her mind, and I think it's impacting
her more than I think it is.
Speaker 21 (27:40):
Michelle Bellamy, a single mother of three who lost their
home and all their belongings in the Palisades fire, says
it was extremely helpful for her family to receive therapy
sessions shortly after the fire.
Speaker 5 (27:51):
The therapist was great, and you said, you know, when
you go through things like this traumatizing things you can
share is to you know, go through a process of
healing like you are through a case therapy sessions in
the way that you're parenting and talking with them so
that they're went through some trauma, but they're not traumatized.
Speaker 21 (28:11):
Finding a new home, a new school, new clothes, and
adjusting to life without the familiarity of home or belongings
was difficult for her family, but says she sees it's
been even harder for some of her friends and neighbors.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
People are still hurting and they're mad, and they're frustrated,
and they're sad, and they're still grieving the things that
they lost or you know, unfortunately the people or the pets,
or just the actual palm, the community, all those things.
Speaker 21 (28:37):
With the anniversary of the fires, the emotional impact can
start to feel raw. As a psychotherapist, Mary says there
are signs to watch for when they're.
Speaker 10 (28:46):
Having angry outbursts and they can't explain why, when they're
feeling sad or having troubled concentrating, if they're feeling like
a little numb or detached, or they're arguing with their
love ones more and they don't know why. Those they're
all signs to check in with each other and check
in with a professional.
Speaker 14 (29:06):
Well.
Speaker 21 (29:07):
Baki is now settled in a new home and also
receives counseling. She says she's realized grief is an ongoing process.
Speaker 22 (29:14):
It comes in waves, and there are times when I
can just sort of swallow and not cry, and then
there are times where I just can't I just because
you feel so helpless you know.
Speaker 21 (29:26):
Professionals suggest the anniversary of the fires is a good
time to check in with family, friends, kids, and neighbors
to see how they're coping. They say trauma can be
overcome and healing can happen with time, resilience, compassion, and support.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
Ailein Gonzalez k if I use. Researchers at UCLA's Fielding
School of Public Health have found some of the houses
inside the wildfire burn zones had higher levels of what
they call volatile organic compounds while the fires were burning
last January. They say their finding suggests smoke impacted building
materials household items continued releasing harmful pollutants over time. The
(30:04):
director of the research says their findings mean there is
a need for more interventions to minimize indoor exposures during
the recovery phase. They say there are still concerns about
indoor air quality after a wildfire and the potential for
prolonged exposure leading to significant health impacts. In our second hour,
(30:25):
federal lawmakers from outside California have held hearings on the
LA wildfires. Republican US Senator Rick Scott from Florida joins
US and some whose homes stayed standing in the wildfire
zones were called lucky. They say that couldn't be farther
from the truth, as returning home has proven especially difficult.
KFI News La Fires one year later, continues just ahead
(30:48):
here on KFI AM six
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Forty, KFI AM six forty on demand
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand. It
was a week that changed lives forever.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
They didn't deploy, no adequate excuse, homes destroyed.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Do you regret coming the fire department budget by millions
of dollars?
Speaker 2 (00:16):
Not a fair Communities up ended, none of us.
Speaker 4 (00:19):
We're aware of the water issues with the reservoirs.
Speaker 1 (00:22):
When fires raged in southern California, KFI AM six forty
was there.
Speaker 5 (00:27):
The push to come back stronger than before is still going.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
One year later. We will rebuild, We still are.
Speaker 6 (00:33):
This is the La Fires one year later.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
One year later, and now your host Michael.
Speaker 7 (00:39):
Monks KFIAM six forty five, everywhere on the iHeartRadio app
This is La Fires one year later. I'm Michael Monks
from KFI News. It has been one year since powerful
Santa Ana winds blew across extremely dry conditions in southern California,
strengthening multiple wildfires, including two that would leave a swath
(01:01):
of devastation in two parts of La County, essentially erasing
Pacific Palisades and Altadena. There were warnings for days leading
up to this event. The conditions were ripe for destruction,
no rain, high winds. As KFI was broadcasting January seventh,
twenty twenty five, the initial reports came in slowly.
Speaker 8 (01:22):
We got reports out of the Santa Monica area. We've
got a brush fire in the Palisades Highlands right now.
You can see the smoke. Not sure about the size
of this baby. They're usually quick to step to those
there near the Palisades.
Speaker 7 (01:37):
But it didn't take long for the severity of the
situation to take hold.
Speaker 8 (01:41):
We now have a fire, Palisades fire is what they're
calling it.
Speaker 7 (01:45):
It started small in the Palisades, but with the conditions,
the fire was poised to grow quickly.
Speaker 8 (01:50):
This thing is living up to its potential, they say.
Right now, the crews on the ground are furiously engaged
in structure protection.
Speaker 7 (01:59):
And then it grew even more.
Speaker 8 (02:00):
The latest is that they're seeing spotting ahead of this
thing a mile to three quarters of a mile out,
which was the absolute fear. When you're thinking about the
winds and the gusts that are coming with this wind event,
that'll take a fire and carry it and keep carrying
it well.
Speaker 9 (02:17):
And that's well. I mean there's a couple thousand homes
well within that range. People who were listening started to
call into KFI and the early moments of the wildfires
to tell host Gary and Shannon what they were witnessing.
Speaker 8 (02:30):
Caesar works at Sunset Smash and joins us. Now, Caesar
crazy over there right now.
Speaker 6 (02:36):
I bet it is very concerning at this point because
there's black smuk, it seems like there's still in the area,
and everyone.
Speaker 10 (02:43):
Out of here is just concern about what was going on.
Speaker 7 (02:46):
Taking picture and then everyone's fears quickly became reality. A
woman calling into the John Cobalt Show was stuck in
a traffic jam of people fleeing the palisades.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
There's a palm tree on fire. So like we're kind
of all sitting here in the car and watching. I
mean it's like fifty feet away.
Speaker 6 (03:05):
I think, oh, that's that's really frightening.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
It's really frightening. It's really really frightening.
Speaker 6 (03:13):
And you can't get away from it, no.
Speaker 4 (03:16):
Because we're more locked in. It's kind of like, you know,
we see those terrible movies where everybody's running from something
and all the cars are stuck. That's kind of how
it is. Yeah, Oh my gosh, Yeah, this tree is really.
Speaker 6 (03:29):
It's on the corner or on the in the Median.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
On Palisades Drive and sunset directly on the corner. There's
a and I don't know if you can hear all
the honkings.
Speaker 11 (03:40):
I can, yeah, I saw on TV there was a palm.
Speaker 6 (03:45):
Tree in the median that was.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, it's right now. I just I just don't know,
Like people are getting out of their cars now, what
if you think, yes, yes, all.
Speaker 6 (04:05):
Right, go okay okay.
Speaker 7 (04:08):
Hours later, the fire and Eaton Canyon consumed Alta Dina,
the sounds of heavy flames with the entire blocks explosions
echoing through the canyons. Terrified residents of the Palisades and
Altadina and other affected communities ran for their lives and
watched in horror as their neighborhoods disappeared. It's really hard
(04:30):
to process what what a town that's been decidated by
fire looks like.
Speaker 12 (04:34):
I knew that, even though it's much closer than I've
ever seen before with all these fires, especially when I'm
you know, in the middle of Hollywood, it doesn't really
feel like, oh, that is going to happen right here,
until all of a sudden, I go out on the
balcony and they're playing.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
On the side of hill.
Speaker 6 (04:48):
This is really challenging for firefighters to engage the fire.
Speaker 11 (04:52):
Mother nature is basically a blow court right now, and
we are prioritizing life safety and saving instructions where we can.
Speaker 4 (04:58):
And my husband saw it was maybe five feet high,
and then the.
Speaker 2 (05:02):
Gusts came and I just blew up.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
We haven't had any rain in the mountains so dry.
Speaker 13 (05:07):
It'll just go on a buff You look left and
there's nothing, and then you look right and it's perfectly fine.
It's really weird. But I went back past Methodist preschool
and it was I've never seen anything like that. It
was in gulf and flames. It was so much scary.
Speaker 7 (05:20):
I reported from this neighborhood in Altadena that was reduced
to rubble.
Speaker 14 (05:33):
I'm standing in front of the mari Closa town Homes
for rent. This sign has no damage to it at all, whatsoever.
Mere feet behind the sign advertising the town homes. There
are no town homes off They're burned to the ground.
There is smoke coming off of the rubble that used
to be these homes.
Speaker 7 (05:52):
In the end, more than thirty people were dead, thousands
of buildings lost, and a total cost of destruction estimated.
It between a eleven and seventy six billion dollars, and
a year later, the wounds are still raw and the
scars remain. People are worried their communities will never bounce back.
Speaker 11 (06:11):
One year after they eat and fire devastated out the Dina.
Rebuilding is beginning, but many lots remain bare. Victims who
lost their homes have had to decide sell their land
and leave, or stay and fight to rebuild. Kim Jones
family made the tough decision to sell. An LLC bought
their land.
Speaker 15 (06:28):
It's perfect timing for people to come over and so bad.
Speaker 11 (06:32):
Some victims claim a gold rush is underway by developers.
Chen U is staying and rebuilding.
Speaker 16 (06:37):
Everybody lives on the street have some type of feeling
towards these special homes.
Speaker 7 (06:43):
Some residents of the Palisades rallied on the anniversary, an
event they called they let Us Burn. Jeremy Pidauer was there.
Speaker 16 (06:51):
It's not easy to look at the community that you
love so much and see it burned to the ground.
It's a it's a hard reality to face. It's a
hard reality to understand the impact that that's had on
your neighbors. It's a hard reality to know that so
many of them cannot afford to come back. About fifty
percent of our community. I don't believe to move back.
I don't think they have any chance of getting back
here under any circumstances.
Speaker 7 (07:12):
KFI News brings you La Fires one year later. We
look at what's believed to have led to the devastation. Next,
a man charged with arson, purposely setting a fire on
New Year's Day, and a fire department accused of not
addressing it fully resulting in the Palisades fire, and a
utility sort of accepting responsibility for the eaten fire, and
(07:34):
later the trauma and psychological damage suffered by affected residents.
Federal lawmakers from outside California investigating the local and state response,
and the challenge faced by people whose homes didn't burn
down but are still unlivable.
Speaker 1 (07:49):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 7 (08:01):
KFI AM six forty live everywhere on the iHeartRadio app.
This is La Fires one year later. I'm Michael Monks
from KFI News. On this anniversary of the deadly, destructive,
and devastating Wildfire's Governor Newsom has issued a proclamation declaring
a day of remembrance, ordering flags at all state buildings
to be flown at half staff. Newsom says, we recognize
(08:23):
the resilience of survivors who continue to rebuild, often carrying
grief alongside hope. He says, California will not turn away.
We will continue to stand with these communities until recovery
is complete, homes are rebuilt, and lives are restored as
fully as possible. Eli's response to the Palisades fire led
to criticism of Mayor Bass, who was in the African
(08:46):
country of Ghana when the flames broke out, dispatched there
by President Biden to attend the inauguration of the president there.
Bass in turn directed her own ire at LA Fire
Chief Kristen Crowley, criticizing the fire department's leader and ultimately
firing her.
Speaker 15 (09:00):
Acting in the best interest of Los Angeles public safety
and for the operations of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
I just met with Chief Crowley and removed her as
fire chief. Our firefighters acted heroically during the Palisades fire,
and they act heroically every single day.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
That is without question.
Speaker 15 (09:22):
Bringing new leadership to the fire department is what they
and the people of Los Angeles deserve. As you know,
I have called for a full investigation of everything leading
up to January seventh. A necessary step to the investigation
was the President of the Fire Commission telling Chief Crowley
(09:42):
to do an after action report on the fires. The
fire chief refused. We all know that a thousand firefighters
that could have been on duty on the morning the
fires broke were instead sent home on Chief Crowley's watch.
His actions required hr removal.
Speaker 7 (10:02):
Crowley appealed to the city council to keep her job,
but they voted to support the mayor's decision. Following the
appointment of an interim Chief, Bass chose how May Moore
for the permanent job. In the interim, we learned a
significant development into the potential calls of the Palisades fire.
Betteral authorities announced the arrest of an uber driver, Jonathan
rindernackt in the accused of starting an earlier fire on purpose.
(10:25):
That fire was known as the Lockman fire. Reported just
after midnight on New Year's Day, First Assistant US Attorney
Bill A. Saley announced the arrest and the alleged connection
between the two fires.
Speaker 17 (10:36):
Although firefighters suppressed the blaze, the fire continued to smolder
and burn underground within the root structure of the dense vegetation,
so that fire started on January first, and it smoldered
underground for about a week until on January seventh, heavy
(10:57):
wins caused this underground fire to surface and spread above ground,
causing what became known as the Palisades Fired, one of
the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles City history.
Speaker 7 (11:12):
The Only Times later reported it had obtained text messages
from LA City firefighters who expressed their worries about leaving
the scene of the Lachman fire too early. When him
Moore appeared before the city Council to be confirmed as
the new LAFD chief, he was asked about these messages,
but also addressed it in his opening remarks.
Speaker 18 (11:30):
At the same time, I recognized that we were at
a crossroads, not only for our department, but for public trust.
The media attention following the January wildfires has raised real concerns,
both within our ranks and across our city. I understand
these concerns. I believe that addressing them openly and honestly
(11:51):
is essential for restoring confidence in our leadership. That's why
I fully support Mayor Bass's request for a thorough, independent
investigation into the Apartment's response to the Lachman's fire.
Speaker 7 (12:02):
But days later that his first City Fire Commission meeting
as Chief More criticized the media reports.
Speaker 3 (12:09):
Something that's been very frustrating for me as fire chief
and through this process, is to watch my friends in
the media smear our name and the work that our
firefighters did to combat one of the most intense fires,
the Palisades, the wind driven monstrosity that it was that
(12:29):
devastated a community in the city of Los Angeles. And
our firefighters stood out there under these horrendous conditions fighting
those fires, chasing flames as they were going three miles
down wind, trying to save people and save their homes.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
And the audacity for people to.
Speaker 18 (12:49):
Make comments and say that there's text messages out there
that says that we did not put the fire out,
that we did not extinguish the fire.
Speaker 6 (13:00):
And I have yet to see any of those text messages.
Speaker 7 (13:02):
And then this week, the week of the anniversary of
the fires, Chief More was at another City Fire Commission
meeting and acknowledged a potential connection between the Lockman and
Palisades fires.
Speaker 18 (13:13):
At the time, fire companies were directed to pick up
hoose the department genuinely believed the fire was fully extinguished.
That was based on the information, conditions, and procedures in
place at that moment. That belief, excuse me, that belief
guided the operational decision making that was made. However, the
(13:35):
outcome has made it incredibly clear that our mop up
and verification process needed to be stronger.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
We have to own that, and I do.
Speaker 18 (13:47):
As a result, we've already changed our mop up procedures
and we formally incorporated the use of drone technology to
enhance post suppression verification, situational awareness and detection of residual
will heat. These changes are now in place to help
ensure that this will never happen again. Please understand, the
(14:10):
Palisades and Lockman fires were defining moments for this department.
They unfortunately exposed real limitations, limitations and system capacity during
periods of extreme demand, including challenges related to staffing, availability,
resource placement, and the speed at which conditions can change.
Speaker 6 (14:29):
During in driven fiery.
Speaker 18 (14:30):
Events, some resources were delayed, some response times were longer
than we strive for.
Speaker 6 (14:39):
Our surge capacity was overstretched.
Speaker 18 (14:42):
These are difficult realities, but acknowledging them is essential to
improving how we operate to be very clear, these challenges
were not the result of failures by our firefighters that
were on the line. They reflect leadership, decision jis, legacy systems,
and longstanding structural constraints that must evolve to meet today's
(15:06):
risk environment.
Speaker 7 (15:07):
More also acknowledged the lafd's after action report was deeply
and repeatedly edited to protect leadership from criticism. As for
the Eaten Fire, residents and now the federal government have
accused Southern California Edison and its allegedly faulty power lines
for sparking that fire. The utility has been working with
some residents offering potential settlements, but some residents and consumer
(15:31):
rights advocates have argued so Cal Edison isn't offering enough.
The US Department of Justice has sued so Cal Edison
for damages and costs related to the containment of the
Eaten Fire and the restoration of the land up next.
One local family lost their home in the Eaten Fire
and their business was devastated by another fire the same day,
the Sunset Fire that burned in the Hollywood Hills, and
(15:53):
later federal lawmakers from outside California turned their attention to
the wildfires of January twenty twenty twenty five as La
Fires one year later, continues.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
You're listening to KFI Am six forty on demand.
Speaker 7 (16:09):
This is La Fires one year later, Michael Monks from
KFI News. When those wildfires broke out last January, we
all saw that destruction in the Eton and the Palisades fires,
but those weren't the only fires. One local family lost
their home and Alta Dina due to the Eaton fire
and saw serious damage to their business because of another.
(16:30):
Limelight Liquors co owner Marina Schneider joins us to talk
about that experience. Marina, thank you so much for taking
some time to talk with KFI.
Speaker 19 (16:38):
Thank you too.
Speaker 7 (16:39):
This is a rare occasion to get to talk to
someone who suffered losses in multiple fires. Back in January.
You lost a home because of the Eton fire and
then the fire and Runyon Canyon around the same time.
It was officially called the Sunset fire. That also damaged
your business. Situation, just a terrible situation. Why don't we
(17:02):
start with your personal life and what happened to your
home in Alta Dina. Take us back to those terrible
days in January and the experience you had.
Speaker 20 (17:13):
So yeah, starting from my home in Alta Diina, we
came from work around six o'clock PM and the energy
was out and we were prepared because the wins were
so high, like the wins were about one hundred miles
per hour, so we've been warned that we have to
(17:36):
we might have to evacuate. And about seven o'clock it
was no warning yet, but we've been expecting the warning.
But around seven o'clock we look out of the window
and we saw the whole Itan Canyon was on a
(17:57):
fire in front of us, and it was really shocking because,
like I said, people didn't get the evocation order yet,
so we could not believe our eyes. It was about
maybe two minutes by car, so with the winds about
(18:17):
one hundred miles per hour, it could reach our house
in minutes.
Speaker 7 (18:22):
You were seeing this before you received any notifications that
you should.
Speaker 20 (18:26):
Leave, yes, before.
Speaker 6 (18:30):
That seems rather shocked.
Speaker 20 (18:32):
Yes, it was shocking because we did not pack our
things and we did not we could not take anything.
We just had to open a door and run out,
jump in our cars, and our daughter was with us
at that time, and we just took our computer and passports.
(18:54):
We did not even have time to take anything at all?
Speaker 2 (18:58):
Where did you go?
Speaker 20 (19:00):
So we drove like nowhere. We had like nowhere to go.
We don't have like we don't have another property or anything,
and we don't have a family here, but we have
a few friends and it happened. Then we are just
driving somewhere far away from the fire, and our friend
(19:20):
the calling cars and he said, I saw it on news.
Would you want to come to my house and stay over?
And we said, of course yes, So we drove to
his house and in it was in the Studio city area,
and we stay overnight. And next day, like I said,
(19:44):
the fire happened in Ranyan Kanyon, Kenyan, which is close
to our store and close to the house where we
were staying. This is the Holly Hills, Yes, yes, this one.
So our friends started to park and they were planning
(20:05):
to evacuate, and we had to go somewhere else.
Speaker 14 (20:10):
Wow.
Speaker 20 (20:11):
But eventually our friends did not have to evacuate and
they stayed in the house.
Speaker 7 (20:18):
I think it's hard for folks to remember, because we
do talk a lot about the devastation from the Eaten
fire and the Palisades fire. Because of the aftermath that
we can still very much. See Unfortunately, but when you
go back to those that week in January, there were
a lot of fires and a lot of people were
sent running for their lives or at least for their
(20:40):
safety because of what was happening all across southern California.
Now you had to do it twice back to back.
You had to leave your own home, you took shelter
with a friend, and then they had to leave. What
were you feeling in that moment.
Speaker 20 (20:55):
It was a total devastation because it was a feeling
that nowhere to go.
Speaker 7 (21:01):
So as you're making your way trying to find a
place to just gather yourself, protect yourself, all of these
fires popping up around the region. You own a business,
you and your husband, Alexander. You have owned Limelight Liquors
for a couple of decades now and it's close to
(21:21):
Hollywood and this has suffered as well. What can you
tell us about the situation with your business.
Speaker 20 (21:29):
Yes next day after the fire, or when we've been
staying with our friends, we found out that there is
a Ranian knion fire by the store and we called
our employees because they've been working, and we said close
the store right now, don't even like risk your life,
(21:50):
just close it down and go home. And we've been
so worried that they would get home on time because
the fire was spreading very quick to Hollywood Boulevard from
the Ranian Canyon. And then, like I said, it was
so much pollution and air. We had to open a
(22:12):
store next day for the people who didness ever couate,
because still some of the people needed us and we
probably work. Yeah, we experienced the future loss loss in sales.
And we've been very worried about our community because they
had to stay in those apartments where the air was black.
(22:38):
The pollution was unimaginable, and we stayed. We decided not
to leave and stay with them and serve them as
much as we can, and the pollution continue for a month.
It was really hard to breathe. And also for people
(22:59):
who live, not only for us.
Speaker 7 (23:01):
It's been almost a year since all of this devastation.
What is life like for you now?
Speaker 20 (23:09):
We actually we are arranging a place for now, the
apartment in the Studio City. We are lucky that we
had insurance in a house, so our insurance is helping
us to pay the rent. And after all this devastation,
(23:31):
we thought like we would never go back to our tagina,
but eventually we decided we will rebuild because people started
to rebuild and they still have a little hope for
the future, and we are trying to do that right now.
Speaker 7 (23:57):
Up next, they survived the fires, but now live with
a lad trauma and anxiety of the experience.
Speaker 1 (24:03):
You're listening to KFI AM six forty on demand.
Speaker 7 (24:11):
This is LA Fire's one year leader on Michael Monks
from KFI News. The insurance market in California can already
be challenging for homeowners, navigating limited opportunities that don't offer
enough coverage, or policies that cost too much, or opting
for the state's Fair Plan, which customers say is a
bit of all those things, limited and expensive and not enough.
(24:32):
But in spite of that, it's become one of the
largest insurers in the state. The San Francisco Chronicle reported
recently Fair Plan policyholders must pay for an additional policy
it's called a difference in conditions in order to be
fully protected. More than two hundred thousand homeowners in the
state are doing so. The Chronicle report compared California to Nevada,
(24:53):
where insurance companies have stopped offering coverage for wildfires. Nevada
has no equivalent to California's Fair Plan, and often called
the insurance of last Resort. People affected by the wildfire's
last January and ones that happened earlier all across the
state know the difficulties of rebuilding, what insurance is difficult
to get, and when it doesn't cover enough when you
(25:14):
have it. California has had to take similar actions so
homeowners could have insurance protection against earthquakes. The insurance situation
in La County since January last year has been so
dire the Board of Supervisors has opened a civil investigation
into State Farm, saying the company's handling of wildfire claims
has been wrought with delays, under payments, and denials of
(25:35):
legitimate claims. It's another factor of the high cost of
living in California and another source of worry for homeowners
inside and outside of burn zones. The experience of last
January's wildfires have scarred the land and survivors. Psyche kfi's
Eileen Gonzalez has that story.
Speaker 21 (25:54):
It was a terrifying experience, and a year of healing
hasn't taken away the emotional scars. Of the day, Seventy
seven year old Baki Cahill lost her home and nearly
her life.
Speaker 19 (26:04):
I wake up very early at you know, three four
in the morning, and immediately it's like fear. It's a
feeling in my chest. Maybe that's what they call a
panic attack.
Speaker 21 (26:19):
Baki was living in the part of Altadina that didn't
receive an evacuation warning, but fortunately her daughter was tracking
the fire from across town.
Speaker 19 (26:27):
My daughter called me at three in the morning and said, Mom, Mom,
wake up. She said, go outside, go look.
Speaker 21 (26:33):
Through the thick smoke. Bachi realized she needed to leave quickly.
Speaker 19 (26:37):
There were embers in the air.
Speaker 22 (26:39):
I mean there were pieces of charcoal rolling down the
street on fire.
Speaker 21 (26:44):
She took her animals and left in the nick of time.
An hour later, her house had burned to the ground,
a lifetime of memories incinerated. But for many neighbors a
loss was much greater.
Speaker 19 (26:54):
It's terrifying. And then to find out that eighteen people
in your immediate neighborhood burned to death. They were either
asleep in their beds or unable to walk invalids.
Speaker 21 (27:08):
While those who lost loved ones, homes and communities bear
the biggest emotional wounds. Even those who weren't directly impacted
by the fires may have lasting anxiety. Mary Stark's, a
clinical psychologist, says although her family safely evacuated from smoke
in Venice, her six year old daughter named fire as
her biggest fear.
Speaker 10 (27:27):
Number one was that a fire was going to happen again.
I didn't think it was still in her sinking. It's
definitely still on her mind, and I think it's impacting
her more than I think it is.
Speaker 21 (27:40):
Michelle Bellamy, a single mother of three who lost their
home and all their belongings in the Palisades fire, says
it was extremely helpful for her family to receive therapy
sessions shortly after the fire.
Speaker 5 (27:51):
The therapist was great, and you said, you know, when
you go through things like this traumatizing things you can
share is to you know, go through a process of
healing like you are through a case therapy sessions in
the way that you're parenting and talking with them so
that they're went through some trauma, but they're not traumatized.
Speaker 21 (28:11):
Finding a new home, a new school, new clothes, and
adjusting to life without the familiarity of home or belongings
was difficult for her family, but says she sees it's
been even harder for some of her friends and neighbors.
Speaker 5 (28:23):
People are still hurting and they're mad, and they're frustrated,
and they're sad, and they're still grieving the things that
they lost or you know, unfortunately the people or the pets,
or just the actual palm, the community, all those things.
Speaker 21 (28:37):
With the anniversary of the fires, the emotional impact can
start to feel raw. As a psychotherapist, Mary says there
are signs to watch for when they're.
Speaker 10 (28:46):
Having angry outbursts and they can't explain why, when they're
feeling sad or having troubled concentrating, if they're feeling like
a little numb or detached, or they're arguing with their
love ones more and they don't know why. Those they're
all signs to check in with each other and check
in with a professional.
Speaker 14 (29:06):
Well.
Speaker 21 (29:07):
Baki is now settled in a new home and also
receives counseling. She says she's realized grief is an ongoing process.
Speaker 22 (29:14):
It comes in waves, and there are times when I
can just sort of swallow and not cry, and then
there are times where I just can't I just because
you feel so helpless you know.
Speaker 21 (29:26):
Professionals suggest the anniversary of the fires is a good
time to check in with family, friends, kids, and neighbors
to see how they're coping. They say trauma can be
overcome and healing can happen with time, resilience, compassion, and support.
Speaker 7 (29:41):
Ailein Gonzalez k if I use. Researchers at UCLA's Fielding
School of Public Health have found some of the houses
inside the wildfire burn zones had higher levels of what
they call volatile organic compounds while the fires were burning
last January. They say their finding suggests smoke impacted building
materials household items continued releasing harmful pollutants over time. The
(30:04):
director of the research says their findings mean there is
a need for more interventions to minimize indoor exposures during
the recovery phase. They say there are still concerns about
indoor air quality after a wildfire and the potential for
prolonged exposure leading to significant health impacts. In our second hour,
(30:25):
federal lawmakers from outside California have held hearings on the
LA wildfires. Republican US Senator Rick Scott from Florida joins
US and some whose homes stayed standing in the wildfire
zones were called lucky. They say that couldn't be farther
from the truth, as returning home has proven especially difficult.
KFI News La Fires one year later, continues just ahead
(30:48):
here on KFI AM six
Speaker 1 (30:50):
Forty, KFI AM six forty on demand
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