Cliff Notes on the News

Cliff Notes on the News

Veteran San Diego news director and reporter Cliff Albert shares his thoughts on the latest news and stories each weekday at 7:22am. Full Bio

 

What the L-A Fires Are Telling Us About What's Ahead

The fires in Los Angeles are being called the worst disaster to probably ever hit L-A. And that includes some sizable earthquakes and other fires.

But the unusually strong Santa Ana winds that had to come from just the right direction at just the wrong time, with a rapid build-up and coming during the driest time on record according the National Weather Service all led to a series of fires breaking out within hours of each other and has made what has happened the proverbial perfect storm.

And the situation in L-A is far from over with fires still starting and burning, and some winds still blowing and thousands still evacuating.

The video from the scenes of the devastation are being described as catastrophic, war zone as if bombs had been dropped onto neighborhoods.

And while much will come out about how the fires started and arguments about what could have been done to better prepare for such a large and terrible perfect storm like this, with so many fires burning so quickly, there are things that happen sometimes that no one can fully prevent.

The unusual magnitude and nature of these fires in Los Angeles are rare with scenarios like this one not included in emergency manuals, because they are sometimes things that no one could have fully foreseen.

Somethings are sometimes just out of our control. But working together moving forward is probably better than fighting with each other.

(Photos Getty Images)

In this aerial view taken from a helicopter, burned homes are seen from above during the Palisades fire in Los Angeles county, California on January 9, 2025. Massive wildfires that engulfed whole neighborhoods and displaced hundreds of thousands in Los Angeles.Photo: AFP via Getty Images

In this aerial view taken from a helicopter, a man waves on the beach in front of burned homes during the Palisades fire in the Malibu, Los Angeles county, California on January 9, 2025. Massive wildfires that engulfed whole neighborhoods.Photo: AFP via Getty Images


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