Trained in urban planning at the University of California, Berkeley, Aaron Paley is a specialist in the social history of Los Angeles. A well-known figure on the local cultural scene, he describes the upheaval represented by the major fires currently devouring the American megalopolis.
What is the significance of these fires for Los Angeles?
It’s the end of an era. We are at an inflection point. What’s happening right now here in Los Angeles is not like an ordinary fire. It’s like a war. There are fires everywhere, danger everywhere, incredible stress. Everyone feels threatened. It seems like an evacuation order could come at any time.
Normally, a natural disaster has a limited duration. The earthquake lasts a few seconds. A hurricane is passing. Here, it’s been five days and it will perhaps continue for another five days, we don’t know. At this stage, we are still in the emergency period. The priority is to mourn and help each other collectively survive. Accept that we really have to say goodbye to our homes, to our lives, to us.
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