Most people got the warning—some saw it, some didn’t. A silly email or text from a friend or the City saying “life-threatening winds” were on the way. Life-threatening? What could that even mean? This isn’t Kansas, and we’re not Dorothy. We don’t have hurricanes or tornadoes in Brentwood. Santa Anas? They’re just warm breezes that ruffle the trees over our multi-million-dollar homes and condos, right?
Wrong. Three days later, much of the Pacific Palisades flats were gone. Gelson’s? Gone. Ralphs? Gone. The Alphabet Streets, lined with their charming 2,500-square-foot cottages? Gone—all of them. You suddenly realized you had five friends who’d lost their homes. Another 25 you’d only heard about but still couldn’t believe.
Meanwhile, Brentwood was on edge. The fire was spreading northwest, but a stubborn finger of it headed north toward Encino. Then it crested toward Mandeville Canyon, and that was the real danger. If the fire made its way down into the canyon, there’d be no stopping it. The fire crews knew it. They threw everything they had at it—men, trucks, helicopters—whatever it took to keep the blaze from swallowing two of L.A.’s “untouchable” neighborhoods.
And luckily, the winds cooperated. Finally, with the eyes of the nation watching, the blitz of resources that should’ve been here all along showed up.
Now, the fires are mostly contained. But Brentwood has no power—from the 405 to Mandeville. And that’s no accident. CalFire determined the power lines were still a threat. Flip the switch too soon, and we might be back where we started, with resources already stretched thin. The restlessness set in fast. Calls to DWP. Calls to neighbors. Text chains full of frustration. Everyone stuck out of their homes, looking around at a sky that seemed harmless and wondering, Why not now?
But as we wait for the green light, the first responders head out to their next battle, and our neighbors to the west scramble to rent homes and figure out what’s next. Here in Brentwood, we mourn our old stomping grounds and console our friends and relatives who lost everything. Sure, it’s frustrating, but you’ll be back in your home soon enough. And when you are, take a moment to be grateful—because this time, there’s still a home to get back to.
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