This is Not a Drill
I could think of little else this week as I sat aghast with the city of Los Angeles ablaze.
I love LA and am deeply connected to it.
Our son lives below the Hollywood sign.
I lived there for 25 years. Met my wife there. Raised our family there. Built a career there.
I have so many friends and colleagues I care about who live there.
Now there’s a very different kind of there, there.
I haven’t felt this kind of catastrophic cataclysm leading to profound loss since 9/11.
And like 9/11, a deep and intense shock such as this inspires introspection.
Imagine if your home was suddenly engulfed by flames. And you had to leave…NOW!
What would you take with you?
I was struck when I heard Melissa Rivers, the daughter of late great comedian Joan Rivers, share her story. With fire threatening her home, she suddenly had the presence of mind to round up pets, passports and other documents along with three items: Her mother’s Emmy award, a photograph of her father, and a drawing her mother made of Melissa and her son.
It was the drawing that got me.
Irreplaceable.
The fires continue to rage as I write this.
I sit here and look out on a wintry and frigid New York City.
I’m far from the firestorm.
But somehow close.
Maybe we all are.
Here are some organizations helping people on the ground. Donate what you can. Every bit helps.
League of California Community Foundations
Image: @415FirePhoto, Twitter
Rob, thank you for sharing those resources. Reading this brought back memories of when we were at Chiat, scrambling to help during the Japan earthquake. Back then, we felt we could do something meaningful from our office. Now, being home with fires just minutes away the urge to help is just as strong, but it feels so different—both more urgent and somehow paralyzing. Watching friends being displaced while preparing for my potential evacuation adds a layer of reality I never expected to experience. Your post is a reminder that LA isn't just a place—it's a web of connections, memories, and feelings, and we're all part of it, no matter if we are near or far.
Yes, 9/11 is the right touchstone, especially for native New Yorkers. I hoped never to feel that profoundly sad ever again.
Thank you for the info, please take care.