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Joshua Gilless

Fire! In the Pacific Palisades

I work in Venice and on the first day of the Pacific Palisades Fire I walked down to the beach, this is what I saw.

Posted on by Joshua Gilless

A Volkswagen Bus between two palms blowing in the wind, smoke fills the sky. Broken palm fronds litter the parking lot. A lone seagull sits atop a light pole.
Never change, Venice.
The wind is blowing so hard that the smoke goes all in one direction, the smoke is so thick that it blocks the light though. A lifeguard tower and truck in the foreground, with the Santa Monica Pier in the background.
AI suggested to my manager that this image is "beautiful"
Smoke blanketing the sky, a trashcan and beach bench at the end of a boardwack in the foreground, palm trees in the mid backed by the twin towers of Venice.
Air was heavy even through my mask.
Palm trees blowing in the wind, smoke blowing hard behind them.
Couldn't get over how strong the wind was, all the smoke just pushed in one direction meant the sky could still peek through.

The fire in the Palisades was devastating to LA. Per CAL FIRE, 12 people died, and ~6800 structures were damaged or destroyed, mostly homes.

I’m posting this well into March, so the immediate shelter needs have at least partly been handled, however there is always room to do good in this city. If you’re looking for a way to help, consider donating blood through the Red Cross.