Los+Angeles+II+JM

"Los Angeles Against the Mountains - II" By: Jody McIntyre

“Los Angeles Against the Mountains – II” is an article about dangerous debris flows in the San Gabriel mountains of Los Angeles. It first begins talking about the orange orchards that were popular in that area and how people made their living by producing oranges. Debris flows would come through and bury the orchards, and new ones would be planted on top of the buried ones. During and after WWII housing development took over. Million dollar homes (and hundred-thousand dollar homes) have become residential areas to those mountains. So, what does one have to do with the other? The homes are smack in the path of monstrous debris flows, and nobody seems to blink an eye about it.

Each year California suffers from major forest fires, and almost every time there is a fire it is followed by a debris flow. Debris flows are much like mudslides, but differ in its viscosity. It is clay-like mud with boulders flowing through, along with logs and tree trunks, and anything else it picks up in its path. They’re dangerous, unavoidable, and happen more frequently than one would care for them to. The focus of this article is not just about debris flows, but the residential areas that they flow through. Why do people invest in million-dollar homes, and why do people stay? McPhee interviews residents of Glendora and gets their perspective on things.

When you own an expensive home in an area that is common to massive fires and debris flows, it would seem logical to move out of that area, or to have never moved there to begin with. The residents of Glendora see things differently. Many of them have lost their homes, or have seen their neighbours lose their home… and yet they remain living there. When McPhee interviewed some of the residents and asked why they continue to live in such a danger zone, their answers were astonishing. Some aren't afraid and believe they won't be targeted, while others think the beauty and privacy of the area is worth it. One man even had his home split in two by a debris flow while his entire family was inside the home. His wife and young child, who were in the master bedroom at the time, collapsed with the bedroom onto the family’s vehicle and were carried down the street. When McPhee asked him if he thought about moving after that incident, he said the idea never occurred to him. While many families do eventually move away, many of them also stay. But it never really seems clear, or logical, as to why, other than the beauty and privacy of the mountains. The article also includes McPhee posing as a potential home buyer asking different real estate agents who sell out of that area if there is any concern for debris flows. Astonishingly, many of them act oblivious to the question. “No. There is not. There is not any problem.” “No. We went through the whole winter there. We had some very heavy rains and there were no problems.”

The people who live in the mountains of San Gabriel come together as a community. When there is fire spreading along their community, the residents will climb atop their homes and throw water onto the fire. When someone’s home does get hit, and their belongings are strewn everywhere, there is no looting. There has been special equipment installed to help the severity of the flows, like basins that catch much of the debris. Prevention committees are set up that help prevent, or protect, from major fires and debris flows. After one particular disaster there were more than 300 private trucks that came in and helped take away the debris. It is estimated that 60 million dollars a year can be spent for cleanups. And yet, people continue to live there.

What intrigued me about this article is McPhee’s main focus. I never got the sense that he specifically wrote this to warn people, or explain the “what-to-dos” about fires and debris flows, but to showcase the families who live in Glendora and what their experiences have been while living in such a danger zone. Okay, maybe it was somewhat of a warning – because I know there’s no way in hell I’d ever put my family, my belongings (and bank account) in danger just for the sake of privacy, and peace and quiet.