Natalie Kittroff

could have used more water and more firefighters, but that even if it had those things, controlling these fires would have been really, really hard. You're a climate reporter for The Times. Help me understand what that means about our ability to respond to wildfires just across the U.S. ?

could have used more water and more firefighters, but that even if it had those things, controlling these fires would have been really, really hard. You're a climate reporter for The Times. Help me understand what that means about our ability to respond to wildfires just across the U.S. ?

Okay, tell me why California, at least in theory, is the state that should be most prepared for fires like this.

Okay, tell me why California, at least in theory, is the state that should be most prepared for fires like this.

Right. I mean, these are conditions that are just kind of baked into the place. It's been this way forever. We've talked about this on the show. These things make fires like this almost foreseeable. So how has California prepared given that?

Right. I mean, these are conditions that are just kind of baked into the place. It's been this way forever. We've talked about this on the show. These things make fires like this almost foreseeable. So how has California prepared given that?

Yeah, it sounds like California is particularly vulnerable, but it also has a bunch of things working in its favor. And yet all of those things obviously were not enough to contain these fires. So what does that tell you, Chris?

Yeah, it sounds like California is particularly vulnerable, but it also has a bunch of things working in its favor. And yet all of those things obviously were not enough to contain these fires. So what does that tell you, Chris?

It's kind of like you're asking, is the pace of climate change just faster than the pace of possible adaptation?

It's kind of like you're asking, is the pace of climate change just faster than the pace of possible adaptation?

You're saying the more your house can look like an isolated concrete box surrounded by rocks, the better. And even then, it wouldn't totally solve it.

You're saying the more your house can look like an isolated concrete box surrounded by rocks, the better. And even then, it wouldn't totally solve it.

Right. I mean, for affordability to tackle, you know, the crisis of people living on the streets, California and L.A. in particular needs more homes, not fewer.

Right. I mean, for affordability to tackle, you know, the crisis of people living on the streets, California and L.A. in particular needs more homes, not fewer.

What you're describing is a situation in which you are really weighing these two crises against one another. And to solve one of them, you need a pretty radical shift in this city. What are the odds, do you think, of that actually happening?

What you're describing is a situation in which you are really weighing these two crises against one another. And to solve one of them, you need a pretty radical shift in this city. What are the odds, do you think, of that actually happening?

And I ask this because even though the fires are still raging, we're seeing the beginning of discussions about what recovery and rebuilding will actually look like.

And I ask this because even though the fires are still raging, we're seeing the beginning of discussions about what recovery and rebuilding will actually look like.

Chris, part of what you're talking about, building fewer houses in the most vulnerable areas in L.A., that would mean a lot of people would need to move. And I have to say, these kinds of conversations where we're talking about people relocating things to climate change because of sea level rise and storm surge, it's something we've talked about with you on the show.

Chris, part of what you're talking about, building fewer houses in the most vulnerable areas in L.A., that would mean a lot of people would need to move. And I have to say, these kinds of conversations where we're talking about people relocating things to climate change because of sea level rise and storm surge, it's something we've talked about with you on the show.