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This week’s guest is a thought leader taking on the daunting task of teaching people about climate change and how best to adapt to it. Spencer Glendon is the founder of Probable Futures, a non-profit that is helping businesses and communities understand that our weather is no longer something we can rely on, but instead is causing increased risk to our safety. The Palisades and Eaton Fires are just two examples of that increased risk. Glendon brings his expertise in Engineering, and Economics, as well as his experience as an Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School and a Senior Fellow at the Woodwell Climate Research Center, to the conversation. He and host Cameron Barrett start this two part discussion with the last 100,000 years of weather and human development, and end in next week’s part two of the conversation, discussing = what we need to do today in the wake of our twin climate disasters - the Palisades and Eaton Fires - to rebuild LA.

Resources:

• Probable Futures
• The 2025 Equinoxes Essay
• The History of Risk Markets and Urban Fires
• Fortune article on Fire Insurance
• Harvard Business School article on the LA Fires

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Dante Cornejo is MySafe:LA’s wildfire coordinator for Los Angeles County and is host Cameron Barrett’s guest this week. Dante has done assessments on hundreds of homes as part of his work, evaluating the wildfire risk of residences all over the County. In this episode, he talks about those assessments, and list things you can do today, even if you don’t have a lot of time or money, to make yourself, your family and your home, safer.

Resources:

• MySafe:LA
• Wildfire:LA
• California Fire Safe Council
• NFPA's Firewise USA
• Home Hardening How Tos
• Defensible Space

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When the Palisades Fire ripped through Los Angeles, the Department of Recreation and Parks got to work on myriad fronts. Park Rangers, who are actually trained in wildland firefighting, battled dozens of smaller spot fires in parks all over the city that day. Rec and Parks facilities re-invented themselves as evacuation sites and shelters for displaces residents. And two equestrian centers took in more than 550 horses (along with a few donkeys and some larger pigs). Rec and Parks might seem like the city department that fixes playgrounds and cleans pools, but they’re much more than that. They suffered losses during the Palisades Fire, they cared for hundreds of people and animals, and they’ve come out on the other end of the fire, helping rebuild not only park facilities, but whole communities. Cameron Barrett’s guest is Department of Recreation Assistant General Manager Brenda Aguirre.

Resources:

• LA City Department of Recreation and Parks
• LA Stables Turn Into Noah’s Ark
• Palisades Fire Emergency Shelter
• Griffith Observatory’s 90th Anniversary Celebration
• Palisades Recreation Center

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Months after the Palisades and Eaton Fires swept through Los Angeles County, many people are still struggling emotionally. So much so, that California Assemblymember John Harabedian has introduced legislation that would require insurance companies, as part of disaster claims, to cover up to 12 sessions with a mental health professional. This week, we talk to Dr. Veronica Viesca about that struggle. She is a Marriage and Family Therapist, an Assistant Professor at Pepperine University, and the founder of the Center for Mental Health Excellence. She joins host Cameron Barrett to discuss how the mental health of individuals says a lot about the community as a whole, and how a phenomenon called post-traumatic growth, is building resilience across the community.

Resources:

• Center for Mental Health Excellence
• Pro Bono Mental Health Providers
• Spectrum News Piece of Mental Health After the Fires
• Assemblymember John Harabedian - District 41

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For 30 years, the aerial firefighters of Quebec have had an agreement with California. When we call for help, they come. Pascal Duclos is the Chief Pilot of an elite firefighting force called the Quebec Scoopers. They fly a unique aircraft, the CL415, which was designed and built in Canada to do one thing - drop water on wildfires. And that's exactly what Duclos and his team did during the Palisades Fire. He says he learned one thing fighting that urban conflagration in 100 mph wind gusts - that nature is stronger than we are. He joins host Cameron Barrett to talk about the Palisades Fire, his highly-skilled brand of firefighting, climate change, and more.

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The second half of our conversation with Jon Brown brings him out of the ashes of the Palisades Fire, and right into a property fight with the owners of the mobile home park where he lived with his wife and two young kids. The Palisades Bowl was one of the last rent controlled neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and when the Palisades Fire swept through, nearly 400 people were left homeless. Those neighbors have come together to create the Palisades Bowl Community Partnership, to try and get recovery underway, with the final mission to rebuild the Park. Unfortunately, owners of the Park haven’t exactly been proactive, or even responsive. Jon discusses with host Cameron Barrett the road ahead, and how he and his neighbors might even try to buy the Bowl and rebuild their lives.

Resources:

• Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Home Park
• Jon Brown Real Estate

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Jon Brown is one of the 400 residents of the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Home Park that no longer has a neighborhood to go home to. All 170+ homes are gone, flattened by the Palisades Fire. Jon joins host Cameron Barrett for a two-part conversation about how he and his young family escaped the fire. But Jon’s story is bigger than just running from the fire. In fact, the fire was just the beginning of his fight. Jon’s story is one of resilience, leadership, and a relentless commitment to his neighbors. Across two episodes, he shares the emotional and logistical challenges of rebuilding after disaster, the fight against negligent property owners, and the power of a united community working together to return home. Part I is Jon’s survival story. Part II (available April 4th) is about the power of a united community working together to return home.

Resources:

• Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Home Estates
• Jon Brown Real Estate

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Cameron Barrett’s guest this episode of Sean Scott, a contractor by trade, and the author of a book you want to get on your shelf as soon as possible. The Red Guide to Recovery is a spiral bound Bible for homeowner who is navigating a disaster, whether that’s something as personal a a burst pipe, or as catastrophic as the Eaton or Palisades Fires. It’s even a terrific resource for those who want to prepare for a potential disaster. MySafe:LA, and fire departments all over North America, have been handing out the book to survivors for more than a decade. Here’s the guide you’ve been waiting for to navigate insurance, avoid scams, clean up safely and much more.

Resources:

• The Red Guide to Recovery Website
• The Red Guide to Recovery on Amazon
• Secrets of the Insurance Game
• NFPA’s Most Home Fires Result from 5 General Causes
• Matterport Scan