LASA gathered together amidst loss, confusion, a desire to help, and more in the wake of Los Angeles’ devastating fires.
We began by creating home kits for Union Station Pasadena. LASA students packed up frying pans, towel sets, cleaning supplies, tableware, extension cords, and other home goods in laundry baskets to share with those who visit Union Station for assistance both post-fires and more generally with regard to seeking shelter. Students reflected gratitude for feeling useful; as Reed noted, “anything helps.” Alistair shared, “I thought it was interesting to participate in this, considering that we had all had different experiences with the fires…It felt more like a community of people than some of our other experiences in LASA.”
After some time walking around The Huntington gardens, LASA zoomed in Dr. Rebecca Miller, a researcher with the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STIPE) in Washington DC and former postdoctoral colleague at the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West’s West on Fire Project. Rebecca specializes in fire policy and has focused on the post-fire landscapes of California after the fires of 2018 and 2019.
She describes her work as researching “current wildfire protection and prevention policies in California and their potential impacts on future wildfires in the state.” Carmela described the day as “a deep conversation about fire recovery, gaining insights into the recent LA fires and the importance of resilience. It really opened our eyes to the complexities of recovery efforts.” And Josh concluded, Rebecca “was able to settle so many of the questions that had been nagging us. It’s been a scary time for us, and so many have had it even worse, but it was nice to hear from an expert to know what’s coming.”
Others left with new avenues of inquiry. Hope is interested in learning more about prescribed fires – both how they are used to “rid an environment of fuel” and “to revive an ecosystem that lacked nutrients.” Landon, like many of us – including Rebecca – wants more information about “the smoke and toxic aspects of the fire.” Many students continue to consider how they can help those who have had the most challenging January.
We are so grateful for all those across Los Angeles helping Angelenos in this time and also to Rebecca for serving as our expert guest. LASA is cheering you all on!