LOS ANGELES — As pedestrians strolled past the iconic Chateau Marmont hotel and customers lined up at Starbucks on Sunset Boulevard, a dark plume of wildfire smoke loomed ominously above, transforming the dawn into an unsettling twilight. Despite the absence of flames nearby, residents of Los Angeles, accustomed to bright sunshine and mild climates, found themselves grappling with unease and anxiety. The city’s atmosphere was thick with reminders of peril: helicopters thumping overhead, ash drifting like snowflakes, and a pervasive scent of smoke coloring the air, while the once-clear sky turned a dismal gray.
“It’s a surreal experience,” remarked Lydia Thelwell, a bartender who was at a hair salon with a view of the smoke. “You know it’s happening, yet you continue your routine.” Los Angeles, with its sprawling population of nearly 4 million, has always been a patchwork of neighborhoods that often feel disconnected from one another. Temperature differences can reach 30 degrees, with cooler coastal areas contrasting sharply with the heat of the San Fernando Valley.
However, a pervasive sense of peril has settled over the metropolis. Smoke has spread across the sky, leaving residents uneasy, particularly since the city has not confronted wildfires of this magnitude during winter in recent history. Despite the chaos, Pascal Loza, manager of a coffee shop, noted that customers continued to flood in for their usual orders. “It’s difficult to feel afraid when the fires are miles away,” he mused. “It’s just something we adapt to.”
Wildfires have always been a reality for Angelenos, who benefit from what is often considered the best climate in the nation while also contending with the risks of natural disasters like wildfires, earthquakes, and drought. “You find yourself in a natural disaster, and there’s no controlling it,” commented Teddy Leonard, who along with her husband, lost their restaurant, the Reel Inn in Malibu, to the Pacific Palisades fire. Other notable residents such as actor Billy Crystal and his wife, Janice, faced similar hardships, losing their home of 45 years in the same inferno.
The impact of the fires has been devastating, with thousands of homes lost and numerous historic landmarks destroyed, including Will Rogers’ ranch house and the Topanga Ranch Motel, a structure that had stood since 1929. Another significant loss was the Palisades Charter High School, remembered for its role in Brian De Palma’s 1976 film adaptation of “Carrie.”
At Runyon Canyon Park, the familiar trails were transformed by the aftermath of the blaze. Scorched hillsides were visible through the steel gates of the popular hiking destination, where a fire truck maneuvered slowly along the charred landscape as ash floated to the ground. For John Klay, an avid walker who engages in private security, this part of Los Angeles has long been his sanctuary. However, recent days of fire have rattled his sense of security, as the flames indiscriminately affected both affluent and less affluent neighborhoods.
“You see disasters on the news—hurricanes, tsunamis, tornadoes—and you never think it will be your turn,” Klay reflected. “Yesterday was that wake-up call,” referring to the Sunset Fire’s rapid spread through the park and Hollywood Hills. He initially doubted that the blaze could threaten his home, but the chaos surrounding evacuations left him feeling overwhelmed. “There was so much turmoil; we had no idea where to turn.”
