The Impact of the Los Angeles Fires (Patreon)

Hey, everyone.

First of all, I'm safe. I evacuated a couple days ago at 4:30 in the morning. My family is all safe.

The last 3 days have happened. I haven't processed them just yet but I know they happened and I thought writing this post might help me do that while offering transparency and clarity for those of you who are here to support me and my creative stuff.

I've had calls with family and friends who also had to leave their neighborhood with a few belongings and a prayer that they will somehow be spared by what is now the most destructive fire in American history. Some of them haven't been spared.

I haven't gone back to the area yet but as I was driving out I saw the destruction at a time of day where it was some of the only light around. I thought it was interesting that usually logic tells you to go towards well illuminated areas. But at that moment we were trying to get away from it, pushing forward into a dark night that was peppered with miles of thick smoke that invaded the car even without any vents turned on.

We're somewhere else right now that isn't on fire and having to see streets, businesses, homes that I see every day around town being erased from existence through social media and local news broadcasts, pictures and videos from loved ones has been really hard. Being apart of a mass grievance is a profound feeling of helplessness. Being unable to parse out my empathy and my own self-interest has been confusing. It's all shit and it's all overwhelming.

We haven't begun to think of the level of necessity that will not be reached by community resources and outside support. Not just the necessities but the niceties that we take for granted. The amount of people who didn't have family in the area. The overflow of convention center parking lots consisting of those who took every risk to make it in a city like LA.

Not sure when I'll be able to get back to my neighborhood, not just due to ongoing fire hazards but also the unhealthiness of air quality and lack of electricity. I'm looking forward to getting back to where I live but I'm not looking forward to sweeping the ashes off my doorstep. Ashes of buildings, flora and fauna. Ghosts of people's lives.

I hope my place doesn't burn down in the coming days (they're anticipating more winds next week) but once the powerful drive of self-preservation wears off I also hope we can rebuild as a local community as quickly as possible. If you're tapped in at all to those around you it's impossible not to be profoundly, cripplingly affected by an event like this. The media is covering the 1 percent losing their summer villa but I can't properly explain to you the amount of hardworking people who made immense sacrifices just to carve out a little spot in a place they call home who have been completely robbed of their life's work and have little to nothing left.

I'll keep you all posted on this but just wanted to let you know what was going on. Please support those in LA right now.

Jon