A Ten News Special Report: LA Wildfires ❤️🩹
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A Ten News Special Report: Episode 524
🔥 Ryan & Pam breakdown everything you need to know about the wildfires in Los Angeles, California from when they began, the ongoing disaster, and more.
🤔 Climate Scientist, Dr. Twila Moon shares how changes in the environment are impacting our weather
📰 Fact or Fiction: Ten'er Owen debunks what we've been hearing in the media about the fires
✅ Plus, get some tips and tricks on how to prepare in case of a natural disaster
Resources
https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/why-did-pacific-palisades-water-hydrants-run-dry
https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/air-quality-los-angeles-fires
https://readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/wildfire-action-plan/
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Transcript:
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO
<SFX LA Wildfire Headline montage>
RYAN: Pam, it’s pretty scary watching the news about the wildfires happening in Los Angeles.
PAM: I know…it’s been devastating for California, how are you feeling, Ry?
RYAN: Honestly, I’ve been pretty worried, I have family in LA… and a bunch of my closest friends had to evacuate, and some even lost their homes.
PAM: Yeah. The impact of the fires are unbelievable.
RYAN: I can’t just sit here…I feel like we have to do something.
PAM: How about a special report to help our Ten’ers understand what is happening and ways we all can help?
RYAN: I’m in. I’m Ryan Willard.
PAM: And I’m Pamela Kirkland, it’s Friday, January 17th.
RYAN: This is a Ten News Special Report.
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO
RYAN: It’s been a really intense week for the state of California and the city of Los Angeles. Everyone’s talking about it…
PAM: Let’s get caught up on what’s happened so far in LA. <SFX: play tape sound> <SFX: ding> The Los Angeles Wildfires began last week in California on January 7th, 2025. They are the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, forcing evacuations and destroying neighborhoods and iconic parts of the city. <SFX: ding> Los Angeles is the largest city in California and the second largest city in the United States, with a population of just under 4 million people. <SFX: ding> There are four major fires, named for their locations within LA. The fires are called the Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire, the Hurst Fire and the Sunset Fire. Combined, they’ve ignited more than 62 square miles, which is roughly three times the size of Manhattan, New York. If you’ve been to LA or live there, the fires are in the northern part of the city. <SFX: ding> The fires have burned thousands of homes, and xx of people have had to evacuate. The major towns of Pacific Palisades, Altadena, and Malibu, have all faced huge amounts of damage and will take years to rebuild.
RYAN: But how did these fires start?
PAM: We don’t know yet what caused each specific fire but we do know that fire officials were concerned that fires would break out when the Santa Ana winds started.
RYAN: Those are the dry and fast winds that can start in the Great Basin - which includes Nevada, Utah, Idaho, and south-east Oregon. The winds move south and west into southern California, through the mountains. And as the air descends, it gets drier and faster. And when the winds funnel through the valleys and gorges, it gets even faster and faster. The Santa Ana wind speeds can reach between 60 and 100mph.
PAM: And in this case, the dry winds blew across areas that were already extremely dry. After two winters of record rain, Los Angeles is now experiencing a drought. All the plants and vegetation that grew thanks to the past rain, is now all dried out and very flammable. As for what caused these particular fires to start is still being investigated. One theory is that remnants from A New Year’s Eve fireworks fire re-ignited from the dry warm winds. Other theories point to power lines blown down from the winds. It will take some time to know for sure and the focus right now is on containing the fires and keeping people safe.
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO
RYAN: There’s been a lot of talk about how climate change is a big part of why wildfires are getting bigger and more destructive each year. But haven’t we always had wildfires in nature?
PAM: Yes, but things are changing in our environment that is impacting the weather and severity of storms and fires. To help us out with this, Tracy found an expert for us to talk to.
TRACY: Yes Pam, I’m here with Dr. Twila Moon. Dr. Moon, can you tell our Teners what you do?
DR. MOON: I'm a climate scientist. I actually work as the deputy lead scientist at the National Snow and Ice Data Center. And you might say, Wait, why are we talking to someone who knows about snow and ice, but we're talking about fire. And that's one of the things that I think is pretty amazing about climate is it connects all of these different parts of our earth together and produces changes where things that I might study in the Arctic influence us down here in the lower 48 and the changes that happen in the atmosphere. Fear and the air around us that are influencing California are related to the kinds of changes that are happening in distant polar or frozen places. So I study these changes in our climate system and help to connect those dots between what we're experiencing and what's happening on this kind of global to local scale.
TRACY: Can you talk a little bit about why climate change is part of this conversation with the L. A. Fires and is this really unprecedented? Meaning like it's never happened before?
DR. MOON: For the most part, when we're talking about unprecedented or unexperienced or new records, we're talking about the human experience of weather on earth. And as we're thinking about the weather we experience that's the heat or the dryness or big rain events, flood and fire are related to weather as well. So our climate is sort of this general expectation of the kinds of whether we would experience in a place. And because we're changing this baseline, so it's almost like we're like raising the floor of the basketball court higher up in the air. And so now we can have more big events. It's just like you're raising the basketball floor. Now you could have more slam dunks. We're raising and changing this baseline of climate so that in many places it's warmer. And so it's easier, for example, for heat waves to occur. But I actually really like and prefer the phrase global weirding because I think one of the things that can be confusing when we talk about global warming is it seems like it's all about temperature. But. In fact, as we change our climate, it can also be about rain or snow. It can be about food. It can be about sea level rise. So it's actually all of these different topics, and I think it also helps to understand why we can experience what is sometimes called weather whiplash. Which is a really rapid change. And this is the kind of thing California has seen where you have now rapid changes between really wet weather and flooding and then really quickly transitioning into really dry or drought conditions.
TRACY: And in LA, didn’t they have two years of record rainfall before this year and vegetation growth? Why was that a problem?
DR. MOON: Yes, you're absolutely right that you can have an instance where you have really wet weather and that produces a lot of vegetation growth.But then if you quickly transition to very dry conditions, that vegetation can dry out and there's a lot of it. right? And so you now have a big pile of dried plant fuels for fires. I sometimes think to myself, I sometimes think of the atmosphere is like getting hungrier. The atmosphere is getting hungrier for taking up all this water [00:03:30] vapor and creating really big rain events or snow events. And it's also getting hungrier for moisture. So when it's dry, it's able to. suck the moisture out of the soil and the plants more rapidly. So I sometimes think of climate change as producing this hungrier atmosphere that can do things more quickly and create bigger events, more extreme rain, also more extreme dry.
TRACY: That's a good segue to a very big question for you, Dr. Moon, as we, we read about climate weirding. I love that so much as a great way to think about it. And it feels so big. And it feels so out of any of our control. So how do you think about the things that, that you do in your life or that any one of us can do in our lives as individuals to help deal with what's coming or actually what's here now?
DR. MOON: Yes, I agree. It can. overwhelming and I think that it's really important to remember that these big systems we want to change are made out of each of us as people. And the area to think about focusing in are those areas where you have connections. Taking an action by yourself, not very effective. But if you can start to make that action ripple [00:05:00] amongst your friends or your family or in your neighborhood and community, that starts to create real system changes. There are a lot of good ideas out there, and we can add to the power of making those ripple and create a bigger change. So I really appreciate and understand that this can feel overwhelming. And so finding the people to do it together with, and you are able to support each other and get energy from each other, [00:05:30] that's how we see bigger changes. And that's also how we sustain ourselves for staying energized and positive as we work on these hard things.
TRACY: What makes you hopeful in your work? You look at change all across the globe. You're seeing how it's impacting people, environments, animals. Is there anything that gives you hope?
DR. MOON: Something that I find really hopeful is that as people are understanding or experiencing these changes, I think many people are making that discovery that folks want to help each other, and that collaboration is a great tool for making us better prepared and also for helping each other after these disasters occur and I collaboration and working together and helping others are all elements that can lead us. towards better climate future. Now we're not in a place where we expect to see a reduction in these kinds of events into the future, but we are in a place where our actions can still make a difference in how often or how extreme events are.
TRACY: All right. I love thinking about that, that our actions can still make a difference. Thank you so much for joining us today, Dr. Moon. We really appreciate it.
OWEN: As we’ve said before, when big events happen, both true and false information tend to spread quickly online. So, let’s take a moment to fact-check some claims we’ve been hearing about the LA wildfires. First up: Did Los Angeles run out of water while firefighters battled the blazes? <SFX: horn> False! While there were reports of low water pressure in some fire hydrants across the city, this didn’t mean LA ran out of water. The issue was that the city’s infrastructure wasn’t designed to handle multiple large-scale fires at once, coupled with high water usage across fire zones. This strain on the system made it harder for hoses to get the water pressure needed, but the city’s water supply wasn’t depleted. Next: One of the main water reservoirs in Pacific Palisades was empty and not available to help with the fire fighting efforts. <SFX: Ding > True! The Pacific Palisades reservoir has been out of service since last February and is said to be back in use this February. While it wouldn’t have solved the water pressure issues, officials are looking into why it took so fix the reservoir. Last one for now! Is it true that Mexico and Canada are helping with the fire efforts? <SFX: ding ding> Yes, absolutely true! Canada has deployed water-dropping planes, and Mexico has sent 100s firefighters to assist. Firefighters and first responders are working tirelessly around the clock to contain the fires and protect people. Let’s send them all our support and hope they stay safe out there!
<SFX Trivia Room door opens>
PAM: Natural disasters are, well, a part of nature. They’re always going to happen, no matter what we do.
RYAN: But what can we do to prepare ourselves if they do occur? What if there’s a wildfire or a hurricane or a T-Rex stampede and we need to evacuate our homes?
<SFX Adam buzzes in from the booth>
ADAM: Pam, Ry, I’ve actually had to evacuate twice with my wife, daughter and 4 pets in 2017 and 2019. I’ve got some tips for you…you should tell them about the six P’s!
RYAN: For those of you who don’t know, that’s our editor, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, who never ceases to amaze me. We’d love some tips!
PAM: Grab your grownups and head to the California Department of Forestry and Protection’s website and look at their helpful materials for making a Wildfire Action Plan! And if you are ever forced to evacuate, create a checklist of the Six P’s of evacuating:
RYAN: Number 1: People and Pets - Pick a safe meeting point for your family members to join each other after evacuating, and plan escape routes and practice them so your family knows where to go. And have a plan to safely evacuate your pets, who will probably be frightened!
ADAM: Bonus tip, La Quinta is the only hotel chain where every single location is pet-friendly. So if you have furry friends, keep that in mind! Keeping cats and smaller dogs in carriers will help keep them safe. You should also pack a few days worth of food and kitty litter.
PAM: Number 2: Papers, Phone Numbers and Important Documents - This includes IDs, passports, insurance and social security cards, or any other important documents. And writing down important phone numbers in case your phone dies.
RYAN: Number 3: Prescriptions - Make sure your grownups pack all of your medicine prescriptions, in case you can’t get to a pharmacy. You might also want to bring supplies of vitamins.
ADAM: Number 4: Photos and Personal Items - If you have time, take a video of your house and all of your belongings, in case insurance can cover it. But also, bring the family photos, small mementos or irreplaceable items that you don’t want to lose. But make sure you have enough room for personal items like toiletries, snacks and water.
PAM: Number 5: Personal Computers and Hard Drives - If your work or personal documents are digital, make sure to bring your Personal Computers and hard drives.
ADAM: And Number 6: Plastics - Bring Credit Cards, ATM Cards, Cash - when you’re on the go, you gotta have your cards or some cash handy. You don’t know when you’ll be back home, so it’s important to have some forms of payment!
PAM: Thank you for your help with that, Adam!
ADAM: Anytime!
RYAN: With that list, you will be well prepared for an evacuation. But even if you’re not in an area that’s being directly harmed by flames, there’s another big thing we need to talk about: air quality! I know it’s very important, and huge wildfires can make it kind of complicated.
PAM: Massive flames mean massive smoke, and ash and other bad things in the air. Depending on the fire, the smoke it produces can be made up of scary-sounding things like carbon dioxide -
RYAN: Carbon monoxide -
PAM: - nitrogen oxides -
RYAN: And more. These can hurt your eyes and lungs, so how can we protect ourselves?
PAM: The first thing you can do is stay indoors and seal up the windows as much as possible.
RYAN: And Ten’ers, nothing that will get you huffing and puffing and out of breath. I hate to say that means no dance parties but no dance parties!
PAM: While inside, tell your parents or grownups not to use any wood-burning appliances or fireplaces.
PAM: If you have to go outside, use a face mask.
RYAN: Remember that even if the air looks fine outside, be really careful and check for reports that the air quality is safe.. If you can smell smoke or see any ash, better safe than sorry!
PAM: Ten’ers and grownups, if you check out our show notes, you’ll find some links on ways you can be prepared AND help out other people in need.
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO
PAM: That… was a lot. How’re you feeling, Ry?
RYAN: Waaaay better. When I understand things, it usually makes them less scary. I’m glad we have some ways to be prepared and to help!
PAM: Me too! Speaking of, you should probably call your Abua and Gramps and see how they’re doing.
RYAN: YES. But first, we gotta do some Ten News Snaps.
PAM: And before that, here’s a quick note for the grownups.
[Ad Break]
RYAN: TIME FOR TEN NEWS SNAPS:
PAM: A Ten’ner with the username Kiki’s Quest left us a really sweet message on Apple Podcasts. With the subject “I learned so much from this podcast!”
RYAN: Tell me more, Pam!
PAM: Their comment said “Pam, Ryan, Tracy and the crew WOW! You are a great team and when I listen to your podcast, I feel smarter! I am really happy that my mom told me about this podcast. Ryan you don’t need to be afraid of you-know-what. Sometimes bees can scare me like you-know-what can scare you. Also Pam you are hilarious (and Ryan too!) Keep it up! ❤️P.S.: I am a Nintendo fan!” Kiki, safe to say we’re Kiki fans!
RYAN: Kiki, thank you SO much. Fans like you are why we do this! We are also really happy that your mom told you about this podcast.
PAM: Thanks so much for learning with us, Kiki! Maybe you and Ryan will conquer your fears together! “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts, and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.
RYAN: The Ten News creative team is hoping everybody in and around LA is safe includes Tracey Not a Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, Brian Not Ryan Douglas, Hebba the Big Cheese Gouda, and Carson Not So Harry Potter. Big thanks to Owen, Not Slowin Down for Anybody.
PAM: Our Production Director is Jeremiah Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald Albright and show creator Tracy Leeds Kaplan. I’m Pamela Kirkland.
RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, thanks for listening to this Ten News Special Report.
