Geoff, I very much appreciated your comments on the fires in SoCal. I lived in the Huntington neighborhood of Pacific Palisades for 25 years before relocating to Chapel Hill, NC a number of years ago. Every time I go back to Los Angeles to play LACC where I am still a member I make sure to visit Pacific Palisades. I cherished living there and as I watch from afar am horrified by the damage to so much property and lives of so many who continued to live there including personal friends of mine. It is hard to contemplate the effort necessary to achieve any kind of recovery.
Beautifully expressed. Reminder to self - do not conflate media images of Malibu mansions with all affected. There are a lot more Americans beyond the brash entitled movie stars, tycoons and politicians that dominate media - including fire images. The biggest are not the best. There is enough "blame" to go around - so rather than pick a discourse - it's best to ignore it. Prayers for the affected and those still fighting it.
Geoff. As an Englishman living in Melbourne, I now better understand the devastating impact of bush fires on your community. Keep safe. You are all in my thoughts and the family of golfers who have enjoyed your writing, blogs and podcasts over many years.
Thanks for the update and the always informative, interesting, and entertaining missive. Thinking about all our friends, family, and colleagues in the area and hoping you and yours stay safe
Dear Geoff: Per norm, your writing is brilliant. So sorry for you and your neighbors who have experienced this apocalypse. One of my good friends, who has lived in the Palisades for decades, made it out with his family with only the clothes they were wearing. Their house is gone. Numbing.
Wow! Thank you for the horrifying reality update. After reading this the awful long lasting impact is sinking in to those of us unaffected! Prayers & thoughts to all those impacted!
The images are shocking, and I can't really imagine how terrifying it must be. I hope the wind dies down tonight, and wish you and everyone there the best.
Appalling scenes from LA and surrounds daily this week on UK television. Thanks for taking the trouble to elaborate. Devastation hard to contemplate from our current frozen tundra in East Lothian. Keep safe! G
Strong publication Geoff, imagine hard to focus with all this going on. I have seen a lot in my one year in LA at LACC; rain of biblical proportions started 2024 and now this in 2025. Before I leave town I still hope to have a coffee and get you to sign my copy of The Captain !
Godspeed to you, your family, your friends, your neighbors, and everyone else affected by the fires. Watching it from the frigid east coast is surreal and terrifying.
God, I am so sorry, Geoff. I'm so devastated for the community. I was shocked beyond words when the news helicopters got up to give us a look at it this morning. Unbelievable. When the wind blows that strongly, basically the only force that can stop the fire once started, is running out of fuel.
I live in Northern California and when the Oakland Hills firestorm happened in 1991, I was curious to see what happened. How did 1100+ homes burn in less than a couple of hours? When the Cal Fire report on the fire was released, I read a copy. I was astounded to find that in urban conflagrations such as these, the homes don't burn from the outside in, they burn from the inside out. The radiant heat from adjacent buildings on fire next ignites the contents of the home by way of the windows. Window coverings, furniture, anything flammable is literally baked into fire. Once started, that fire spread as fires do. Burning everything.
My daughter lives in Hollywood Dell and was just the width of the 101 from being under mandatory evac. last night. A cruel twist of geography, these areas all have the same terrain layout. Dry brush covered hills to the north, north east. Exactly the same direction the Santa Ana wind comes from.
Thoughts and prayers are truly with you and the community.
Geoff, I very much appreciated your comments on the fires in SoCal. I lived in the Huntington neighborhood of Pacific Palisades for 25 years before relocating to Chapel Hill, NC a number of years ago. Every time I go back to Los Angeles to play LACC where I am still a member I make sure to visit Pacific Palisades. I cherished living there and as I watch from afar am horrified by the damage to so much property and lives of so many who continued to live there including personal friends of mine. It is hard to contemplate the effort necessary to achieve any kind of recovery.
Brad Becken
Beautifully expressed. Reminder to self - do not conflate media images of Malibu mansions with all affected. There are a lot more Americans beyond the brash entitled movie stars, tycoons and politicians that dominate media - including fire images. The biggest are not the best. There is enough "blame" to go around - so rather than pick a discourse - it's best to ignore it. Prayers for the affected and those still fighting it.
Geoff. As an Englishman living in Melbourne, I now better understand the devastating impact of bush fires on your community. Keep safe. You are all in my thoughts and the family of golfers who have enjoyed your writing, blogs and podcasts over many years.
Geoff,
Thanks for the update and the always informative, interesting, and entertaining missive. Thinking about all our friends, family, and colleagues in the area and hoping you and yours stay safe
Dear Geoff: Per norm, your writing is brilliant. So sorry for you and your neighbors who have experienced this apocalypse. One of my good friends, who has lived in the Palisades for decades, made it out with his family with only the clothes they were wearing. Their house is gone. Numbing.
Wow! Thank you for the horrifying reality update. After reading this the awful long lasting impact is sinking in to those of us unaffected! Prayers & thoughts to all those impacted!
The images are shocking, and I can't really imagine how terrifying it must be. I hope the wind dies down tonight, and wish you and everyone there the best.
Geoff, thank you for comments on the fires. Living in the PNW it's insane to see such raging fires in an urban environment. Stay safe.
Documentary from 1962, narrated by the original Matt Dillon:
https://www.c-span.org/program/american-history-tv/1962-documentary-design-for-disaster/376240
Appalling scenes from LA and surrounds daily this week on UK television. Thanks for taking the trouble to elaborate. Devastation hard to contemplate from our current frozen tundra in East Lothian. Keep safe! G
Strong publication Geoff, imagine hard to focus with all this going on. I have seen a lot in my one year in LA at LACC; rain of biblical proportions started 2024 and now this in 2025. Before I leave town I still hope to have a coffee and get you to sign my copy of The Captain !
Godspeed to you, your family, your friends, your neighbors, and everyone else affected by the fires. Watching it from the frigid east coast is surreal and terrifying.
It’s hard to watch from afar. There may be something to this environment stuff.
Wow, hope you are ok GS
Prayers
God, I am so sorry, Geoff. I'm so devastated for the community. I was shocked beyond words when the news helicopters got up to give us a look at it this morning. Unbelievable. When the wind blows that strongly, basically the only force that can stop the fire once started, is running out of fuel.
I live in Northern California and when the Oakland Hills firestorm happened in 1991, I was curious to see what happened. How did 1100+ homes burn in less than a couple of hours? When the Cal Fire report on the fire was released, I read a copy. I was astounded to find that in urban conflagrations such as these, the homes don't burn from the outside in, they burn from the inside out. The radiant heat from adjacent buildings on fire next ignites the contents of the home by way of the windows. Window coverings, furniture, anything flammable is literally baked into fire. Once started, that fire spread as fires do. Burning everything.
My daughter lives in Hollywood Dell and was just the width of the 101 from being under mandatory evac. last night. A cruel twist of geography, these areas all have the same terrain layout. Dry brush covered hills to the north, north east. Exactly the same direction the Santa Ana wind comes from.
Thoughts and prayers are truly with you and the community.
Thank you for sharing.
Your loyal friends have a kinship with you.
Blessings upon you and your neighbors.