As the Eaton and Palisades fires continue to burn past the more than 38,000 acres they’ve already consumed, the time is right for a conversation about what led up to this disaster.
In the short term, displaced homeowners and renters allege Southern California Edison failed to de-energize its electrical equipment despite weather service warnings about 100 mph wind gusts and extreme fire risks. Bigger picture, scientists know that the fire risks have been decades in the making.