#la county

Yes, I'm telling my advanced age, geriatric though I am, but this is big childhood crush #1, Randolph Mantooth portraying Johnny Gage the Los Angeles County firefighter/paramedic on Emergency. Oh sure, there were little ones like David and Shaun Cassidy, or Davey Jones, but Johnny Gage I saw every week. I think my mom tuned into the show because "Mother County" evoked a sense of family and camaraderie in those days, believe it or not, and I say this as I'm about to celebrate my 29th anniversary at my County job this week.

But Johnny Gage was the airhead and the charmer, the womanizer, the flirt, the hapless and happy go lucky guy who usually came out winning. If you've never seen the show, the L.A. County Firefighter Paramedic Program is what started the whole paramedic thing in the first place. County stations and trucks were used, the actors underwent training, it was a big deal and Emergency was a popular show.

Later on, he was still big on EMT issues and he also got involved in tribal matters, and a few years back I happened upon a youtube video where he joined another tribal elder to talk about emergency preparedness on the reservation. They listed him as a Seminole elder, but he's also part Cherokee and German from his bio. He was 80 years old when he passed yesterday.

i’m still pretty out of reach of the fires but that can change at the slightest weather change and i’m just praying that they don’t get closer, but please if you’re in these areas, stay safe and vigilant, keep the LAFD and all the other firefighters from different states in your thoughts

Today, it is January 10th, 2025.

In good news, the the Sunset fire is now considered inactive and all evacuations have been reversed. It only grew to 60 acres at it's peak. The Hurst fire has shrunk to over 700 acres and is now 37% contained. The Lidia fire is still at over 300 acres but it is now 75% contained.

Sadly, that is all the good news I have. The Palisades fire has grown to over 20,000 acres with 6% containment. The Eaton fire has grown to over 13,000 acres. To put the sheer size of these fires into perspective, Manhattan has an area of 14,604 acres.

Tragically, 10 people have lost their lives.

At 2:43 PM, a fire known as the Kenneth fire started near the Woodland Hills area. It is 1,000 acres and is 35% contained as of writing. Sadly, this fire appears to have started due to an arson attack. Police currently have the suspect in custody after neighbors performed a citizen's arrest.

This morning, CBS conducted an exclusive interview with LAFD Fire Chief Kristin Crowley where it was revealed that Crowley warned LA Mayor Karen Bass that budget cuts would hamper the LAFD's ability to handle fire emergencies. Crowley confirmed that the city defunded LAFD by $17.6 million, which included a $7 million decrease in overtime pay.

THE EATON FIRE

The Palisades fire has received the most attention from mainstream media after celebrities and high profile Angelenos evacuated the region. Pacific Palisades is considered to be the most sought after real estate in the country as it sits on the Pacific Coast Highway between Santa Monica and Malibu. We now need to shift our attention to the Eaton fire.

The Eaton fire started on Thursday, January 8th, near Altadena Drive and Midwick Drive in the Altadena area. The city primarily affected by this fire is Altadena, home to over 40,000 people and is a mere 4 miles (6 kilometers) away from Pasadena. As of writing, it has burned to over 13,000 acres, has destroyed over 5,000 homes, with 0% containment.

Altadena has a large population of working and middle class families, particularly black families, whose families have lived in the region for generations. During the Great Migration of the 1900s, many black people fled to Altadena to escape the Jim Crow South. Octavia Butler, the world renowned author of Parable of the South, was from Altadena. As these Eaton fire continues to destroy the city, California is losing it's black history.

Do-Not-Drink Water alerts have been issued in Pasadena and Eaton Canyon as the Eaton fire has destroyed and contaminated the water pipes in the region as firefighters continue to fight the fires.

If you're able, please consider donating to the Gofundmes of Black families who have been impacted by the Eaton fires.

Please also consider donation to those have been effected in Eaton Canyon.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

The Los Angeles Times has shared organizations that you can donate to included the California Fire Foundation. If you're in Southern California, this list also include mutual aid organizations where you can donate materials directly.

If you would like to directly donate to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation which will go towards emergency shelters, hydration backpacks, and wildland brush tools, you can do so here.

If you're in Southern California, please use the MALAN Fire and Wind Storm Resources spreadsheet to find mutual aid organizations near you and find places where you can donate or volunteer.

Finally, if you still have a Twitter account, please routinely check the app for Gofundmes from families who have been affected by the fires. Most Gofundmes are not listed on spreadsheets or official websites yet and many families are sharing them on Twitter. I found multiple has I was working on this post but I know for a fact there are more: (here), (here), (here), (here), (here), (here), (here), and (here).

Please continue to keep Southern California in your hearts. As the days pass, it has become increasingly clear that the damage being done by these fires is more than we can comprehend. Drone footage shows that Palisades has practically disappeared. It's now being estimated that these fires have done over $50 billion in damages.

I hope everyone affected, like the evacuees and their loved ones are finding a safe place to stay. My thoughts are also with all the firefighters and other first responders, working so hard to contain the fires.