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The Bridge

Do you want to amp up your company generated business game? The Bridge is where the real estate, relocation and mobility industry can discover how taking a new path doesn’t have to be scary. Teresa R. Howe is an expert in her field with years of successful program and services development and management. She has a passion for helping companies be the best they can be. Do you want more revenue, more customers and better experience management? Get tips on how to compete more effectively in a world of constant change and disruption. You might also come across some random thoughts that just pop into her head.

The Devastation of Fire

I was thinking about what I would write this week for my blog post, and I haven’t thought about anything but the LA fires all week, so I gave in to it. I lived in LA for 11 years and worked for a company with offices there for 30 years, so I know many people there and live about one hour from the fires. The danger of fire in our area is always at the top of everyone's mind, just like earthquakes. It is just the same for hurricanes and tornados in many other parts of the country.

As I write this on Friday night, I have been alerted on my phone that there is a fire at the golf course where my husband plays, which is only about three miles away from our home. I just heard two helicopters overhead. We will stay on high alert.

I’m no fire expert, but I have lived in So Cal for 37 years and respect the danger. These massive fires could have as easily happened in my neighborhood. It has been a very sad week knowing how many are suffering, and I appreciate everyone who has reached out to check on our well-being. The saddest bit is that we aren’t out of the woods yet. The fires are still burning, and the winds are expected to pick back up, so new fires could emerge, or existing ones could flare up and grow. They are making slight headway on containment.

While we don’t know how these fires started yet, but they are pretty good at figuring it out after the fire is out. They are typically caused by felled power lines caused by the wind, campfires, tossed cigarettes, fireworks, heavy machinery that sparks, lightning (very rare here), or the dreaded arsonist. All avoidable. If any were started by a power line, the utility company would bear some burden for the massive losses which only serves to drive up our utility costs.

Why do we have these problems?

You can’t have a massive state with approximately 15,346,666 wilderness acres and 100,206,720 state land area with 8.2 million acres of agriculture, 32 million acres of rangeland, and 15 million acres of public lands in an area that only receives an average of 14” of rain a year without potentially disastrous results. And in the last two years, we have had a lot of rain, so we have a lot of brush that is really dry from the lack of rain this season.

Someone asked me why we don’t clear our brush. Did the numbers above register? There are not enough resources on earth to tackle it. We have many large hills and mountains and dense, low-growing brush, which is very difficult to manage. That is why we periodically see controlled burns, which present their own danger. Our community hires herds of goats to do some brush clearance on the hills. They will eat anything and are very efficient, but can only do so much.

Others can’t understand why they can’t get control of the fire once they start. Embers are the devil. An ember can travel a mile without much effort, and when you have gusts of 90mph, their travel speed is remarkable. They say, ‘The fire gets in front of itself.’

Santa Ana winds (sometimes also called Devil or Diablo Winds):

Gusts originate in the east in the desert and pick up speed as they come through the mountains toward the coast. They typically flow east to west toward an area of low pressure, and the air dries on its journey. Gusts can run around 60 mph -100 mph and can behave like tornado winds. Embers can travel more than a mile a minute.

Stats as of January 10th*.

  • Palisades Fire (Pacific Palisades and Malibu)

    o 20,438 aces burned

    o 8% containment

    o Over 11,000 structures within the perimeter

  • Eaton Fire (Altadena area)

    o 13,956 acres burned

    o 3% containment

    o Over 12,000 structures within the perimeter

  • Hurst Fire (near Sylmar)

    o 831 acres burned

    o 37% containment

  • Lidia Fire (Antelope Valley north of LA)

    o 395 acres burned

    o 75% containment

  • Kenneth Fire (West Hills area)

    o 1,000 acres burned

    o 35% containment

*Stats from CoreLogic

A fire is considered out of control until at least 35% contained. At least 11 people have lost their lives, but there will surely be more discovered as clean-up begins. Some people refuse to leave their properties even though there was an attempt to evacuate them, or they physically could not do so without help.

Fortunately, we have the best firefighters in the world who understand the assignment. I saw a video this week of firefighters carrying photo albums and a grandfather clock out of a home and gently placing them on the curb. That was all they could do because they knew the house was going up. The homeowner was nowhere in sight. It brought me to tears. The pilots who do the water drops do it with unbelievable precision, and once the winds die down enough for that to happen, they start to make headway.

It pains me to hear some people criticize the fire response. If you aren’t in the middle of it, you aren’t really in a position to judge. The finger-pointing has already begun, but that doesn’t bring any homes back. This disaster will be highly politicized.

It's not just stuff. It’s memories.

As they say, home is where the heart is, and I can assume that losing the place where so many memories are made is devasting. Yes, it’s just stuff, but it often defines our lives and experiences. It may contain mementos from those we have lost.

The only thing I could say to my friends who lost homes was, ‘I’m so sorry.’ They are grieving and saying, 'At least you are safe,' is not the way to go. We can’t diminish the material loss. Their entire lives are upended.

The sheer magnitude of this disaster presents challenges on a grand scale. Thousands of people are displaced. Schools, churches, synagogues, restaurants, and businesses are gone. Landmark properties such as the Will Rogers Historic Home are gone. They protected the Getty Villa Museum, which houses thousands of antiquities. The grounds are a loss, but the property is safe. Many of those businesses are small businesses in those communities. We can only hope they get the support they need to rebuild.

While some of these areas are comprised of high-end coastal mansions, plenty of average homes and apartments have been affected. That massive task of cleanup and rebuilding seems like an overwhelming thought right now. Unfortunately, unscrupulous people will descend as they always do and take advantage of vulnerable people desperate to rebuild their lives.

These tragedies mostly bring out the best in people, but sometimes the worst. The National Guard has been brought in to stop any looting. It’s so sad to think some people would do that kind of thing. But it is a harsh reality of the situation. Many local restaurants are providing free meals to firefighters and evacuees. Businesses and charitable organizations are collecting donations. On the news the other night, a sweet woman made a giant vat of chicken noodle soup and handed it out to anyone in the area. But we must be vigilant to ensure everyone offering help has the best intentions.

How will this affect real estate and relocation?

Real estate will be messed up in LA for quite a while. There is already a significant shortage of affordable housing. These people will need to find a place to live temporarily, or they may sell their lot and move on. While many of the lots are prime, it is hard to say if they will hold their current value. Hopefully, the permit process will be expedited. We already face a long-term construction labor shortage.

Vacation rentals, temporary housing units, and probably some hotels will be absorbed by the fire victims and contractors coming in to meet the needs of those affected, so be prepared to struggle for a while when bringing in a renting transferee.

Properties in unaffected areas may sell quickly and be scooped up by those who don’t want to rebuild on their original lot. We may see some sellers of vacant homes take them off the market and list them for rent. Short-term rentals can draw a hefty rent, and they may choose to go that route instead of selling now.

Home prices may rise due to demand in adjacent markets where the prices are already outrageous. Even though it has just been a few short days, demand is already driving up rent prices, which will strain already stretched-thin locals and renters moving into the market. The rental scams may increase. A prevalent one is someone acting as if they are a landlord or owner of a property that is not theirs and ‘leasing it’ without permission and taking deposit money. So, I advise working with your temporary housing providers, local Relocation Directors, and agents to look at all options for your transferees. And let me know if I can help in any way.

A one-year moratorium has been put on fire insurance cancellations or non-renewing policies in the fire zones and adjacent zip codes. After that, we will all struggle to afford or access it, so transferees will need to be made aware of the challenge.

What can you do to help?

Keep sending good thoughts this way, and donate money to reputable organizations. Any amount will help. While people may be tempted to donate used clothes, furniture, etc., that is not really what they need. Money will allow those affected to buy what they need right now. Many people were left with only the clothes on their backs. FEMA is already on the ground doing their thing.

Here’s what I know…people are resilient, and we will work together to ensure they get what they need to rebuild their lives. Here are some places to donate to support those affected by the LA fires:

I’ve just learned of two great apps: Watch Duty and Genasys Protect. Both are available for free in the App Store and provide up-to-date fire information.

There are many other great organizations available to help. Please make sure they are vetted. Here are some articles that list some of the above and others. How to help L.A. wildfire victims: A list of vetted relief organizations or Where to give: Top-rated charities active in the Los Angeles wildfire relief effort – NBC 7 San Diego

Teresa Howe