The last week and a half in Los Angeles has been a hellacious game of whack-a-mole. Born and raised in Southern California, the new year brought a “wind event” the likes of which I’ve never seen. Neighborhoods suffered wind damage that paled in comparison to the total destruction the fires would bring. The combination of the record winds and the flames proved to be a deadly and disastrous combination.
It does not feel like a stretch to say everyone knows someone who has been affected by the wildfires. I’d wager two degrees of separation at most. Friends have offered shelter to those who needed it, only to suddenly find themselves under mandatory evacuation orders. Members of our horror community have lost their homes. Heart Eyes director Josh Ruben and Pare filmmaker Lauren Sick were two weeks away from moving into their dream home before it was reduced to ash.
Sound of Violence director Alex Noyer and his family are safe, but their home and everything Alex had left of his recently deceased father did not survive. Basket Case and Leprechaun SFX artist Gabe Bartalos and his family also lost their home in the fires. This is just a small sampling of the thousands of folks sifting through the ashes…