My nephew Matt sent me a text Wednesday morning, asking if he and his family could stay with us should they need to evacuate their Franklin Hills residence. At the time, it seemed unlikely.
Later, as I was making dinner, he sent another text: “Heading down. See you soon.” I hadn’t looked at the news for an hour and was unaware that a fast-moving fire had just sparked in the Hollywood Hills. Matt had another question: Would it be OK if a friend, his wife and their 2-month-old son stayed with us too?
An hour later, we were eating chili, refreshing the wildfire map on our phones and hoping for the best.
The only one who slept through the night was the baby.
I’m Glenn Whipp, columnist for the Los Angeles Times and host of The Envelope’s Friday newsletter. For those of you in the Los Angeles area, I hope you’re safe in this dangerous, devastating time.
Grieving what we’ve lost
If you’ve lived in Los Angeles long enough, you probably know someone who lost their home in this week’s disastrous fires. At the moment, I know two. (Here’s a GoFundMe fundraiser for film critic Wade Major, a regular on KPCC’s “FilmWeek” program, who lost his home in Malibu, where he was raised.) The news this week has been horrible, and the prospect of another “wind event” early next week is chilling.
Like many of you, I’ve cherished spending time in so many of these places. Hiking along a trail in Pacific Palisades and Malibu to reach the crest of a summit overlooking the Pacific is the first thing I’ll do with out-of-town guests. The Eaton Canyon Trail to the waterfall is a spectacular, springtime ritual. An early evening fish dinner on the patio at the Reel Inn possessed a magic that made you feel blessed to be alive. Warm air, cold beer and the sound of the ocean across PCH. Thirty-six years in business. May the doors open again soon.
It’s hard to wrap your head around this historic devastation. One thing that helps is opening your arms and offering help in whatever way you can. Times staffer Karen Garcia put together an excellent resource of ways to assist residents affected by the Los Angeles County fires, with options to donate money, materials or your time.
Please stay safe. Let’s hope we can get through the next few days.
The patios at the Reel Inn, a seafood institution on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, possessed pure magic.
(Silvia Razgova / For The Times)
Oscar nominations delayed. SAG nominations arrive
The nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Awards arrived Wednesday morning. After I filed a story about what the noms might mean for the Oscars, I took off for Signal Hill so I could get in a cardio workout and see what downtown looked like from Sunset View Park. A friend called, asking for an update about the fires. I told him I couldn’t provide much info, but I could tell him who got snubbed by the SAG Awards.
Such is my job.
The firestorm has postponed numerous awards season events and delayed Oscar nominations, which will now be announced on Jan. 19, a week from Sunday. Many academy members have lost their homes or have been forced to evacuate or have friends who have suffered grievous losses. “Oscar voting,” one member told me today, “is the last thing on my mind.”
Truthfully, mine too.
Pamela Anderson picked up a SAG Awards nomination for her lead turn in “The Last Showgirl.”
(Christina House / Los Angeles Times)