The Ever-Present Risk Of Wind-Driven Wildfire In Topanga Canyon, And How Local Experts Are Working To Mitigate It
Topanga Canyon’s nightmare fire scenario begins in the middle of the night when everyone’s asleep at home. As blustery Santa Ana winds blow in from the east, a spark from a powerline or a passing car drops onto dry brush, starting a fire along the edge of the San Fernando Valley. As the flames grow, emergency services send out alerts, waking up thousands of residents throughout the area, telling some to shelter in place and others to leave. It’s an increasingly likely situation as our vegetation dries out and winds pick up, according to Drew Smith, fire behavior analyst with L.A. County Fire. “I would not be surprised,” Smith told me as we stood atop a helipad looking across the Transverse Ranges. “We are training for that.” With only a few arteries in and out of the canyon, Smith warns that a fast-moving wildfire could trap people on the canyon’s narrow roads, consuming everything in its path. In a worst-case scenario, the fire explodes into a devastating tragedy akin to the 2018 Camp Fire in Butte County, which destroyed the town of Paradise, trapping people trying to escape. At least 85 people were killed.
Today on AirTalk, LAist Science Reporter Jacob Margolis joins us to talk about his reporting on the risk of wind-driven wildfire in Topanga Canyon, and what local forestry and fire officials are doing to try and mitigate it.
With files from Jacob Margolis at LAist.com. Read his full story here.
Double Play: Remembering The 2023 Los Angeles Dodgers
The 2023 season ended in disappointment once again for the Dodgers and their fans after they were swept by division rival Arizona in the National League Division Series. Despite being 100 game winners during the regular season, and once again sporting one of the most potent and consistent offenses in the league during the 162 game campaign, they couldn’t get their bats going in the postseason. First baseman Freddie Freeman and outfielder Mookie Betts, who both posted MVP-caliber numbers during the regular season, went a frosty 1-21 at the plate in the Division Series -- the lone hit was an infield single. Starting pitching didn’t help either -- after subpar showings from Clayton Kershaw and Bobby Miller in Games 1 and 2, Game 3 starter Lance Lynn gave up an MLB postseason record four home runs to the Diamondbacks in the third inning and the Dodgers never climbed back in the game. As L.A. Times columnist Bill Plaschke noted in his column following the Game 3 loss, “for the second consecutive year, and third time in five years, the Dodgers lost in their first playoff round despite winning 100 games in the regular season. For the first time in 17 years, they exited the postseason without winning a game.” Heading into the offseason, it’s hard not to wonder how a team with so much star power that wins consistently during the regular season has struggled to get the job done when it matters most in the playoffs.
Today on AirTalk, the Triple Play convenes to give a eulogy for the 2023 Dodgers.
New Investigation Reveals Loophole In The ‘Clean Air Act’
Major investigation shows local governments are increasingly exploiting a loophole in the Clean Air Act, leaving more than 21 million Americans with air that’s dirtier than they realize. Regulators have exploited a little-known provision in the Clean Air Act called the “exceptional events rule” to forgive pollution caused by “natural” or “uncontrollable” events – including wildfires – on records used by the EPA for regulatory decisions, a new investigation from The California Newsroom, MuckRock and the Guardian reveals. No state is blamed more for smoke pollution than California, followed by Oregon and Canadian provinces, according to our analysis. Western states are more likely to point fingers at each other, while states in the midwest and north-east place the blame on Canadian provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Joining us today on AirTalk is Molly Peterson, investigative reporter at the California Newsroom.
Exploring The History Of Organized Labor In Southern California
For the second installation of our new weekly segment on Southern California history, we’ve decided to look at a topic that’s been on our mind the entire summer… organized labor! Following the hot labor summer, it’s left many wondering how the roots of our local unions came up and the societal conditions that led folks locally to take greater control over their labor. Not just that, but what sectors of our economy were at the forefront of making the area known for unions like SAG-AFTRA and UTLA?
Today on AirTalk, we get into the topline history of local labor with Los Angeles Times columnist Patt Morrison and Bill Deverell, USC history professor and director of the Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West.
