firefighting

Devastation in LA and elsewhere has taught us what can help prevent catastrophes — more firefighters, improved water systems and mitigation.

In the past 10 years, the state’s firefighting agency, Cal Fire, has seen its budget more than double to $3.7 billion.

A recently passed law allows some young people trained in firefighting to have their records expunged, opening doors to employment.

“We all live supermodestly,” a firefighter said. “We’re about being able to do this job that we love, but also sustain life.”

“Years ago it was a 100-meter dash. Now we're running a marathon," one expert says.

Getting accurate information onto the website and social media — and satisfying the public’s voracious appetite for news — requires an army of public information officers in the field.

Insurance companies are making individual home inspections and are demanding fire improvements from homeowners. Some residents in the area are having difficulty getting insured at all.