John Fischer The Catch

Here in southern California, we are finding out a lot about disaster preparedness after the devastating wildfires that have taken lives and left thousands homeless in nearby Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Things like thinking ahead about what you would want to take with you if you had to evacuate and having it ready to go, a designated place of contact with someone outside the area in case your family gets separated, installing a sprinkler system on your roof, never letting your gas tank get below half full, having an emergency generator handy for power failures, and an emergency pack or two handy in case of fire or other natural disasters like earthquakes — something else we have to think about around here. These things have become painfully real in the last few weeks.

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As fires continue to rage across Southern California, the world watches with heavy hearts. The relentless Santa Ana winds and parched conditions have fueled widespread devastation, leaving thousands of families grappling with the monumental task of rebuilding their lives.

With the Eaton Fire spreading to over 14,000 acres and only 27% contained, and the Palisades Fire now nearing 24,000 acres with just 13% containment, the challenges faced by firefighters and residents alike are immense. As flames consume landscapes and memories, fear and uncertainty burn just as fiercely in the hearts of those affected.

In times like these, it’s natural for frustration to rise and for fingers to point. Yet, amid the chaos and devastation, blame and shame do not build bridges or heal wounds. The tragedy of these fires demands not division but unity — a shared commitment to support one another through this unprecedented crisis.

One voice that resonates deeply comes from Michael Martin, a globally respected real estate advisor and dear friend of Marti’s. With over 30 years of experience in Southern California, Michael has seen the resilience of this region firsthand. His message, written from the Pacific Palisades, transcends geography and circumstance, touching the universal human spirit. It’s a call to shift our focus from blame to hope, from fear to love.

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I woke up this morning in a small town northeast of San Diego nestled in the foothills of the Cuyamaca Mountains called Ramona. The window in my bedroom looks across to a hillside of beautiful homes cascading down the mountain. You cannot look at this scene after the wildfires that are still terrorizing southern California without thinking what high winds and a spark could do to that hillside. California has so many beautiful hills and mountains like these that offer a sense of seclusion and countless “rooms with a view,” and yet they come with a risk. It makes me feel a little unsafe here except that today, not a leaf is moving it is so still.

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A gripping photo in the local paper brought home the reality of the horrible tragedy of the wildfires that have brought so much devastation to southern California in the last week. It wasn’t a picture of the blazing inferno, or the charred and twisted remains of a home, or a picture of blocks of leveled homes cut down to their foundations as in a war zone. It was a picture of a concerned mother hurriedly carrying her five or six year old child, her face buried in her mother’s shoulder, with three firetrucks lined up in the background. Somehow this simple picture made the agony of this event personal. Why is she carrying her? Where are they going?

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