The devastating LA wildfires

I flew back to my LA home this week. Here is my experience being in LA as the fires spread.

I must have some uncanny ability to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I boarded a plane last Monday evening to LA, planning to escape to a warmer climate. Plus, I had a list of meetings lined up for work while I was here, including a few podcast recordings scheduled for the start of the Lipps Service New Year.

Around midday on Tuesday, I remember driving and seeing loads of fire trucks speeding down Santa Monica Blvd. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, until I saw a massive plume of smoke when I looked west down Santa Monica, and then eventually down Sunset Blvd. It was unlike anything I had seen before.

I’ve never been in a war, thank God (or even been close to a war zone, for that matter), but the clouds of smoke I was starting to see down Sunset were looking like something out of an apocalypse. I didn't realize the extent of it on that Tuesday afternoon, but what was brewing was one of the biggest natural disasters the state of California has ever seen.

I also remember waking up Tuesday morning to a text from a friend whom I had made tennis plans with (because that’s how you socialize over 40 in LA). Tennis was canceled as smoke was rising and winds were fanning the flames.

Los Angeles firetruck speeding through the streets. Los Angeles 2021. (Photo by Bim/Getty)

“The wind?” I thought. No one ever cancels anything in NYC unless someone is dying — New Yorkers just don't do that. So, I chalked it up to my friend, who was a bit paranoid about a slight wind affecting who would win the tennis game (clearly not me, I’m a New Yorker).

As the day progressed, the air became increasingly thick, and I started tuning in to what was happening. Horrific images began to spread like wildfire on social media, and the actual, ravenous fire was burning at something like three football fields a minute.

I started calling all my friends who I thought were maybe being affected. I started calling more people when multiple fires began to break out in Laurel Canyon, near Glendale, and, of course, the West Side.

US 2018. (Photo by Oliver Knight/Getty)

Disasters always seem in the distance until they hit home. As everyone in LA has, I downloaded a tracker app and started seeing evacuation orders affecting my girlfriend and me.

In the moment, when it’s happening to you, you don't even know what to grab. I assumed it was going to be about a day, so I grabbed my dogs, dog food, a few shirts (I’m still wearing them), my iPad, and a few other things, but that was it.

Can you imagine the anguish that someone has to be faced with when they only have 10 minutes to evacuate their entire life and memory banks?

It’s unfathomable.

I evacuated to the desert, and, thankfully, I’m fine. My heart goes out to this resilient city and everyone who is affected.

I jokingly text a few friends, “Can we go back to 1989?”

If this is how 2025 is starting, can we start over?

A Los Angeles firefighter responds to a wildfire. Los Angeles 2019. (Photo by Kevin Lendio/Getty)

We are strong as a community. I’ve also seen many images of people willing to risk their lives to help others and animals (let us never forget and pray for them).

I ask you, are Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass the ones you want running this city? I don't even live here anymore, but I feel like some of this could have been minimized with better leadership. For some ungodly reason, Newsom is smiling in all the videos I see everywhere. Clearly, this isn’t funny, and Bass seems to avoid just about every question that she can.

LA, you deserve better. My heart and love goes out to you all!

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