"Firestorm": MS NOW's Jacob Soboroff on Anniversary of L.A. Fires & "America's New Age of Disaster"
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖The 2018 Los Angeles fires, including the Palisades and Eaton fires, were a personal tragedy for Jacob Soboroff, whose childhood home burned down.
- ❖Soboroff's book, 'Firestorm,' frames these events as 'the fire of the future,' a consequence of the global climate emergency, decaying infrastructure, and widespread misinformation.
- ❖The Trump administration significantly weakened disaster response capabilities by decimating FEMA, reducing meteorologists at the National Weather Service, cutting NIOSH staff, and targeting NASA's Earth Science program.
- ❖Infrastructure failures, such as an electrified dormant steel lattice tower causing the Altadena fire and exploding electric car batteries, contributed to the disaster's scale.
- ❖Donald Trump and Elon Musk spread misinformation during the fires, including false claims about water availability, which directly impacted recovery efforts.
- ❖Governor Gavin Newsom's current social media strategy of 'punching back' against political attacks originated during the LA fires, in response to Musk's questioning of firefighters.
- ❖The Trump administration targeted migrant workers, who were critical for rebuilding efforts in areas like Altadena and the Palisades, with ICE raids.
- ❖Post-fire recovery saw 40% of burned properties acquired by corporate investors, not locals, exacerbating Los Angeles's housing affordability crisis.
Insights
1The 'Fire of the Future' is a Multifactorial Crisis
The Los Angeles fires were not merely natural events but a complex disaster stemming from multiple interconnected factors. These include the global climate emergency, failing infrastructure (e.g., dormant electrified towers, exploding electric car batteries), and the proliferation of misinformation during critical response periods.
Soboroff states, 'This was the fire of the future... a confluence of many things. Obviously, the global climate emergency... but also our infrastructure falling apart... Electric car batteries exploding... And then finally, again, this issue of misinformation and disinformation during national natural disasters.'
2Systematic Undermining of Disaster Response Agencies
The Trump administration actively weakened federal agencies critical for disaster prediction, response, and recovery. This included decimating FEMA leadership, reducing National Weather Service meteorologists, cutting staff at NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health), and placing NASA's Earth Science program on the chopping block, directly impacting the ability to fight and recover from fires.
Soboroff details how the administration 'decimated FEMA. Senior leaders have left. The National Weather Service... has lost meteorologists... NIOSH... has lost people... NASA's Earth Science program is on the chopping block.' He also mentions DOJ cuts and hiring freezes affecting Forest Service firefighters.
3Misinformation as a Direct Obstacle to Disaster Recovery
During the fires, prominent figures like Donald Trump and Elon Musk spread false narratives, such as the ability to 'turn on a tap' for water or questioning hydrant pressure. This misinformation not only confused the public but also diverted attention and resources, making the recovery process more difficult for those affected.
Soboroff recounts Trump 'spreading misinformation and disinformation, saying things like we could just turn on a tap and have water flow down from the Pacific Northwest.' He also describes Elon Musk 'prod[ding] local firefighters on the ground about conspiracy theories related to why there was no water in the hydrants.'
4Disasters Exacerbate Socioeconomic Vulnerabilities
The aftermath of the fires highlighted existing societal inequalities. Migrant workers, essential for rebuilding, became targets of ICE raids, hindering recovery. Furthermore, corporate investors acquired a significant portion of fire-damaged properties, displacing locals and worsening Los Angeles's already severe housing affordability crisis.
Gavin Newsom expressed concern about Trump targeting 'undocumented people in LA... the people that are engaged in the rebuilding... are the ones being targeted by the ICE raids.' Soboroff adds that '40% of the homes and the lots that are selling now are going to corporate investors, not locals.'
Bottom Line
The political strategy of 'punching back' against misinformation, now characteristic of Governor Gavin Newsom, was forged directly in the crucible of the LA fires, in response to real-time disinformation spread by figures like Elon Musk.
This demonstrates how immediate, high-stakes crises can fundamentally reshape political communication tactics, moving from traditional responses to aggressive, direct counter-messaging as a necessity for governance.
Political strategists and public officials can study this case to understand the origins and effectiveness of direct, real-time responses to misinformation during crises, potentially developing frameworks for rapid counter-narrative deployment.
Lessons
- Recognize that disaster preparedness extends beyond environmental factors to include robust governmental agency funding and a strategy to combat misinformation.
- Understand that political rhetoric and policy decisions (e.g., defunding agencies, targeting migrant labor) have direct, tangible impacts on disaster response and community recovery.
- Advocate for policies that protect vulnerable populations, such as migrant workers, who are often essential for post-disaster rebuilding but face increased targeting, and address corporate acquisition of disaster-affected properties to prevent further displacement.
Notable Moments
Jacob Soboroff reporting live after discovering his childhood home had burned down in the Palisades fire, expressing profound sadness and solidarity with other residents.
This personal experience grounds the broader discussion of systemic failures in a deeply human context, illustrating the immediate and devastating impact of the fires on individuals and families.
Katie Miller, Stephen Miller's wife, contacting Jacob Soboroff to check on her in-laws' house in the Palisades, despite their adversarial relationship over his previous reporting on family separations.
This moment highlights the universal human experience of disaster transcending political divides, even as the political figures associated with the request (Trump) simultaneously engaged in harmful misinformation.
Governor Gavin Newsom observing Elon Musk's live stream questioning firefighters about water pressure during the fires, leading Newsom to instruct aides to 'clip that right now' and initiate his aggressive social media counter-strategy.
This specific incident marks the origin of a significant shift in Newsom's political communication, demonstrating how direct challenges to authority and the spread of misinformation during a crisis can provoke a forceful, immediate response from leadership.
Quotes
"How do you process watching your childhood memories carbonize in front of your eyeballs? And I didn't, I mean, the answer is you don't. You can't, especially while talking to a national television audience."
"40% of the homes and the lots that are selling now are going to corporate investors, not locals."
Q&A
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