It’s day six. People are tired. Angry. I get it. I am so mad at two of my neighbors for failing to observe basic brush clearance, or leaving junk piled up against their house (including six partly-filled Blue Rhino gas bombs—that was a pleasant surprise at 2 a.m. in flames). I have been composing nasty letters to them in my mind for six days. But I will not send them.
Another so-called journalist with a homemade press pass is running around collecting stories and anecdotes about the lack of fire engines. We get it. The fire chief at Zuma has asked for 70 strike teams that Friday morning. He was given zero. We don’t need emotion-wrought anecdotes to know there was a problem. We don’t need emotions to be inflamed. How babyish.
Then this LA Times idiot Gustavo Arellano digs up Mike Davis, the discredited “Let Malibu Burn” guy to do the inevitable “I told you so” trope opinion column. Earth to Los Angeles Times: That is exactly what happened.
And we are still here.
Yes, there were problems. Yes, there was lack of planning. Yes—people are tired and making statements that may be true for some lucky people, not true for others.
So what? Back off. Give people room.
Negativity. Pushing rumors. Inflaming emotions already rubbed raw. Now is not the time for that.
Hans Laetz
99.1 KBUU General Manager