Public Service Announcement—Palisades Fire

[Patri]

During insomnia last night, I watched some of the coverage. Thought about what I would take if I had voluntary evacuation. (Mandatory - maybe not as much time to think clearly). Mentally went through every room of the house. Surprising how much I had no problem leaving behind. I would grab clothes, meds, electronics and chargers, legal papers, pet and his stuff. Both sets of car keys. Then several boxes of memorabilia that I haven’t had a chance to purge yet. Should all fit in my vehicle. I have already distributed most photos to my kids.

 

[am1]

I follow a photographer on Instagram @heygraymalin and he drops his two kids at school at 8 am, at 10 am got the call they were evacuating the school, said it was truly scary during the pick up as fire was right above the school.
When they got home they realized how close the fire was and soon got the call to evacuate.
Went to a friends home for safety and just posted pictures of the fire from there, praying for safety of their home and everyone in the palisades.

It’s going to be a long night for the people involved.

One would think the school would evacuate everyone somewhere safe. In public school we had a plan for a nuclear meltdown.

 

[Ken555]

The three major stations, and another three local, have now been continuously broadcasting for over 24 hours. The fire departments are stretched so thin they are doing reverse triage and letting buildings that are too heavily engulfed burn while they try to protect or extinguish other fires further down the streets. My sister pet sits for a musician/lawyer couple in the Palisades several times a year, most recently at Christmas. These are people used to being paid for their time, and when their vacation dropped from 7 days to two days, they gave her $500 cash on top of whatever her agency paid her. They evacuated early, but we don’t know if their home is still standing.

Do you know the address?

 

[Ken555]

The only good news I've learned today is that Palisades High School did not completely burn, and my family's home is still standing, though, according to the updated map, it is now inside the fire zone. The Palisades Village shopping area recently built by Caruso is still standing as it seems they used fire retardant as part of their construction - it is the newest development in the area.

I am not aware of anyone who has been physically harmed.

Every other update I have is terrible. I know many people who have lost their homes and are scrambling for temporary housing. Some of the videos I have seen of the area are quite distressing, especially since those filming have a vested interest in the area - not like overly dramatic reporters who can't even pronounce the street names or think part of the Palisades is in Malibu (that keeps happening, by the way, almost as if they can't read a map).

These are pictures of the historic old business block building in the center of Pacific Palisades.

Pacific Palisades Business Block - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Janann]

Today I saw a picture of the street where I used to live in Los Angeles. The hillside just over the fence at my old house was on fire, and this isn't the first time it has happened. The houses have been spared in every fire so far.

Prayers for those who have lost so much.

 

[Cornell]

I’m sorry @Ken555 . Just a sad & distressing thing.

 

[Ken555]

I heard from a friend that it took his relative four (4) hours to drive out of the Highlands yesterday. This is a road that normally takes a few minutes.

 

[clifffaith]

Do you know the address?

I asked my sister and she answered Cuesta Linda Drive without giving me an address number.

 

[Ken555]

I asked my sister and she answered Cuesta Linda Drive without giving me an address number.

That's in the Palisades Highlands, where this fire started. I heard a few hours ago that the fire had turned back to the Highlands as it started going north, but I don't know any more about that area. I know many who live in that area. Its a complete disaster.

 

[Dane2]

News Week reports State Farm, one of the biggest insurers in California, canceled hundreds of homeowners' policies last summer in Pacific Palisades—the same area which is now being ravaged by a devastating wildfire.

 

[emeryjre]

State Farm cancelled thousands of home owners policies in California last summer
None of the policies were in my immediate neighborhood
A mile up the hill in heavy brush and wooded areas they cancelled everybody with a State Farm Policy
It is understood that if an event like the wind driven fires in LA hit in that area
It would be a disaster for homes and structures
Heavy with Eucalyptus trees and flammable brush
New homes are built to be fire resistant
The old homes are fires waiting to happen

 

[Ken555]

State Farm cancelled thousands of home owners policies in California last summer

That includes my family. Our policy is actually still active but only for another month. In fact, I just arranged yesterday with my agent to get the quote we have been discussing for the California Fair Plan (https://www.cfpnet.com), as that is now obviously the only option available to us.

The good news is that the house is still standing, as of six hours ago.

 

[DrQ]

News Week reports State Farm, one of the biggest insurers in California, canceled hundreds of homeowners' policies last summer in Pacific Palisades—the same area which is now being ravaged by a devastating wildfire.

That includes my family. Our policy is actually still active but only for another month. In fact, I just arranged yesterday with my agent to get the quote we have been discussing for the California Fair Plan (https://www.cfpnet.com), as that is now obviously the only option available to us.

State Farm cancels policies in Pacific Palisades due to rising fire threat in California​

The looming wildfire menace has ignited an exodus of insurers from California, leaving homeowners chasing coverage through the state's FAIR Plana fallback for those whom private insurers reject due to high-risk locales. Per CapRadio's report, the FAIR Plan's policy count has more than doubled from 2020 to 2024, hitting a staggering 452,000.​

The good news is that the house is still standing, as of six hours ago.

Good thoughts to all our west coast friends.

 

[Passepartout]

We, along with millions, are heartbroken over the losses of so many. So far, though, we are heartened by the relatively low count of those whose lives were lost, given the population density.
Property and buildings can be rebuilt, lives lost cannot.
In an earlier life, I lost 'everything' in a Santa Anna driven fire in Anaheim. We rebuilt better, and fireproof, and moved on with our lives like those effected by these new destructions will.
I will keep the affected in my heart, and my checkbook open to help.

Jim

 

[VacationForever]

That includes my family. Our policy is actually still active but only for another month. In fact, I just arranged yesterday with my agent to get the quote we have been discussing for the California Fair Plan (https://www.cfpnet.com), as that is now obviously the only option available to us.

The good news is that the house is still standing, as of six hours ago.

I looked at the site and I am not sure what it does. Does it have exclusions like fire? If not, is the insurance under California Fair Plan super expensive?

 

[b2bailey]

Knowing the status of rental market in SOCAL, after the impact of fire, I'm wondering...
Where will the displaced people live?

 

[HitchHiker71]

That includes my family. Our policy is actually still active but only for another month. In fact, I just arranged yesterday with my agent to get the quote we have been discussing for the California Fair Plan (https://www.cfpnet.com), as that is now obviously the only option available to us.

The good news is that the house is still standing, as of six hours ago.

Curious just as a point of reference, what does home insurance cost out there given the higher risks involved? I can't imagine it's inexpensive. We pay around $1200/year on a $550k property in my area - with no associated risks though - and I'm sure our property values are much lower than Cali overall here in the first state of Delaware. I have friends down in Florida in certain areas that pay around $500-1000/month for home insurance due to flood and hurricane risks for example.

 

[Carolinian]

So sad for the people out there. I hope for some type of relief - rain, snow, winds diminishing, whatever - quickly.

The British media is giving a lot of coverage and the fire maps they publish as in this link give an impression of how wide an area is involved.

How Los Angeles wildfire spread in hours to destroy iconic city

Within minutes of the fire starting, a small plume of smoke had grown massively as the first flames began tearing through a wooded area. Before long, the City of Angels was ablaze

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[vacationtime1]

Curious just as a point of reference, what does home insurance cost out there given the higher risks involved? I can't imagine it's inexpensive. We pay around $1200/year on a $550k property in my area - with no associated risks though - and I'm sure our property values are much lower than Cali overall here in the first state of Delaware. I have friends down in Florida in certain areas that pay around $500-1000/month for home insurance due to flood and hurricane risks for example.

It would not be an apples to apples comparison.

For most high value California properties, the proportion of the value attributable to the land vs. the proportion of the value attributable to the building is higher than other places. It would not be unusual for half the value of a $4M house to be the dirt underneath it. If the house burns, at least the dirt is still there.

This is somewhat balanced out by our higher construction costs. This particular disaster will be a clusterf*ck when all of those rich folk start bidding against each other for contractors to rebuild -- and I suspect many contractors won't be shy about charging whatever the traffic will bear.

fwiw -- Our house insurance is proportionately less expensive than yours (and we actually live in a fire zone in the suburbs, not in SF proper). Of course, that could change . . . . .

 

[rickandcindy23]

Curious just as a point of reference, what does home insurance cost out there given the higher risks involved? I can't imagine it's inexpensive. We pay around $1200/year on a $550k property in my area - with no associated risks though - and I'm sure our property values are much lower than Cali overall here in the first state of Delaware. I have friends down in Florida in certain areas that pay around $500-1000/month for home insurance due to flood and hurricane risks for example.

You never know when a wildfire could hit an area with no historical problems. The Marshall fire that swept along the Boulder Turnpike with some high winds was not something anyone would expect to happen. It did, and it was devastating to homeowners and businesses. We had four friends from our church that lost homes in that fire.

 

[jp10558]

Yea, we even saw a few small fires in my area of Upstate NY - which I don't know was ever reported on before, even if it may have happened before. Right now we're covered in snow, so I doubt our risk is fire till we get warmer and the snow melts. Then we have our burn ban every year.

 

[clifffaith]

And now there are eyewitness accounts that in one of the newer fires last night carloads and scooters full of men were swarming in to loot homes even as people were rushing to get their families out. What is wrong with people?

 

[Ken555]

I looked at the site and I am not sure what it does. Does it have exclusions like fire? If not, is the insurance under California Fair Plan super expensive?

It is only for fire, it is expensive, and it offers less coverage than any other options. It is the option of last resort for fire insurance.

 

[Ken555]

Curious just as a point of reference, what does home insurance cost out there given the higher risks involved? I can't imagine it's inexpensive. We pay around $1200/year on a $550k property in my area - with no associated risks though - and I'm sure our property values are much lower than Cali overall here in the first state of Delaware. I have friends down in Florida in certain areas that pay around $500-1000/month for home insurance due to flood and hurricane risks for example.

The quote I received is ~$7,400 just for fire insurance.

 

[Ken555]

And now there are eyewitness accounts that in one of the newer fires last night carloads and scooters full of men were swarming in to loot homes even as people were rushing to get their families out. What is wrong with people?

This always happens. Not a surprise. In fact, I'm worried about valuables in the homes that survived. I'm starting to consider options for friends and family homes, and we may decide to have stuff put in secure storage rather than stay in the house. At least I'm becoming optimistic that the homes that have survived so far in our area will continue to survive. I just don't know how long it will take to resume utilities and other services, not to mention the complete lack of any businesses in the neighborhood and that impact on life. My parents want to return to their home soon and its become difficult to explain how that’s not a likely outcome.