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A year after the LA fires, the lesson is clear: Our greatest disasters are often self-inflicted

JL;DR SUMMARY In the aftermath of the devastating 2025 fire in Los Angeles, which claimed lives and homes in the affluent Pacific Palisades area, a deeper reflection emerges on the nature of human-driven disasters. A way out west there was a fella, fella I want to tell you about, fella by the name of Jeff Lebowski. At least, that was the handle his lovin' parents gave him, but he never had much use for it himself. This Lebowski, he called himself the Dude. Now, Dude, that's a name no one would self-apply where I come from. But then, there was a lot about the Dude that didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. And a lot about where he lived, likewise. But then again, maybe that's why I found the place s'durned innarestin'.

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Tags

Disaster ResponseLos AngelesLion FeuchtwangerHuman ErrorFiresPacific PalisadesNegligenceVilla AuroraGustavo ArellanoSelf Inflicted Disasters

Places mentioned

Pacific Palisades, California, United States
"A tattered U.S. flag at Asilomar View Park above the Pacific Palisades Bowl Mobile Estates in Pacific Palisades, CA on Dec. 31, 2025."
Los Angeles, California, United States
"Villa Aurora, an iconic building affected by the fire: Villa Aurora, Los Angeles."

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Cairo Item ID 72113
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Retrieved 2026-01-07 05:31:05 UTC
Curated 2026-01-07 08:30:57 UTC