Hot Air

“More howling, whipping, fire-stoking winds have arrived in Los Angeles. They are expected to strengthen by dawn and may blow up to 70 miles per hour. Some gusts could rekindle parts of the major blazes tearing through the city’s hills and suburbs. Others could start new fires. It may seem hard to understand why the combined resources of the federal government, California and Los Angeles haven’t been able to defeat the wildfires after a week of fighting them. The winds are a major reason.” (And regardless of the sick mudslinging and finger pointing, we’re not talking about political winds.) NYT (Gift Article): The Airborne Flames. “The gusts hurl embers across great distances, spreading fire quickly and thwarting efforts to pinch it off. Planes and helicopters that spray water and flame retardant can’t fly. Firefighters on the ground can’t battle the flames on streets and hillsides without fear they’ll be incinerated.”

+ The winds made it impossible to fight the fires early on. And they’re still preventing thousands of people from returning home. LA Times: ‘Particularly dangerous’ weather warning for L.A. fires are in effect, gusts of up to 72 mph reported.

+ Jimmy Kimmel was pitch perfect in his first monologue after the fires, sharing the intense agony and shock being felt by the people in Los Angeles, while also noting the inspiring acts of courage and community that have defined the response.