Some of the most expensive homes in the United States have gone up in flames in the fires that have been ravaging the outskirts of Los Angeles since January 7. The upscale Pacific Palisades neighborhood, home to many celebrities, was ravaged by flames and the fire attacked the Hollywood Hills, a few hundred meters from the famous Hollywood Boulevard.
Among the stars affected, Læticia Hallyday, who saw her house « go to ashes »or even Paris Hilton, who declares having seen her house « burning live on television: it’s something no one should ever have to experience ».
Read also: Fires: images of Los Angeles on fire
« Fire reveals the vulnerabilities of the world we are immersed in today. While money and fame can maintain a form of denial and the illusion of invulnerability »analyzes Joëlle Zask, philosopher and author of When the forest burns (ed. Premier Parallèle, 2019).
The symbolism, reinforced by the spectacular images of the disaster, must not erase the already heavy toll: ten deaths and 180,000 people evacuated. But it has enough to create a shock wave.
Reckless and opportunistic urban planning
Megafires are nothing new in California, including in the most bling-bling neighborhoods. THE « firestorms » Carried by the so-called Santa Ana winds, dry and powerful which descend from the mountains towards the coast in Southern California, have marked the history of the region. They destroyed 403 homes, including a ranch belonging to Governor Reagan, in September 1970. Or more recently, in 2018, caused the deadliest fire in California history (85 dead, 11 missing and 13,500 homes destroyed ) in the town of Paradise.
The city of Malibu, close to the current disaster, « has been defined by fire in the American imagination, throughout the XIXe century and until today »writes the American historian Mike Davis, in a text dated 1998 that is particularly illuminating on the genesis of the current catastrophe. The author describes how the richest, notably thanks to public support for the victims, took advantage of the fires to increase their control over the « ring of fire » which should have been preserved from the buildings to prevent future damage. And how the protection of their villas mobilizes a « army of firefighters » while working-class neighborhoods appear destitute and record the heaviest losses.
« Malibu’s nouveau riche built higher and higher in the mountains »
Despite the fires of 1978, 1982 and 1985, « the nouveau riche of Malibu have built higher and higher in the mountains, without worrying about the inevitable consequences of the fires »writes Mike Davis.
The catastrophe is also a symbol of the loss of « fire culture » in rich countries, believes Joëlle Zask. « In poor countries, the forest is more inhabited and maintained to prevent fires. Conversely, the richest people who live in regions like California live there much like tourists visiting a country. They occupy it, but they don’t take care of it »observe la philosophe
Symbol of an impasse of “ green capitalism »
Ironically, the state of California was, due to its vulnerability and the importance of its counterculture, one of the cradles of the environmental movement in the United States. « This story has positioned California somewhat at the forefront in terms of climate policy, with a position in favor of “green capitalism” »traces Édouard Morena, researcher in political science at the University of London and author of End of the world and petit fours.
The former mayor of Los Angeles, Éric Garcetti, chaired the international network of cities active on climate, C40, between 2019 and 2021. « The news is therefore also, in a certain way, symbolic of the impasse of these policies »judge Édouard Morena.
Of course, however, this catastrophe accelerates the evolution of consciousness. « There have already been many warnings in rich countries. The fires have moved closer to major capitals like Sydney [Australie] or Washington [États-Unis] and the idea that they could one day be uncontrollable is growingrecalls Joëlle Zask. It doesn’t generate large-scale change. We are naming culprits, instead of seeing that these megafires are due to a plurality of factors. »
This is what Donald Trump did without waiting for the blaze to end, claiming that California was running out of water because of Democratic environmental policies that would divert rainwater to protect a « useless fish ». A reflex that is also symbolic of the political moment that the United States is going through, as Donald Trump is to be inaugurated president on January 20 and promises to undermine policies to combat climate change.
« The scale of the fire is matched only by the scale of the denial of Donald Trump and Elon Muskreacts Joëlle Zask. We see before our eyes that the world they are preparing, with the brutality they are known for, is a world that is burning. »
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