California Fires: Everyone ok?

[TwoMisfits]

The fires are now being considered possibly man-set...and arson is strongly suspected in more than one of the fires burning...

 

[Kitty 34]

The fires are now being considered possibly man-set...and arson is strongly suspected in more than one of the fires burning...

How awful. I was wondering how it all began. I know the strong winds and dryness definitely helped in spreading them.

 

[wabbott]

https://www.presstelegram.com/2025/...disneyland-lost-their-homes-in-altadena-fire/

Disney Imagineers who built Disneyland lost their homes in Altadena fire

'Most of the places where we all lived burnt to ashes last night,' writes former Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde.

\By Brady MacDonald | bmacdonald@scng.com
PUBLISHED: January 9, 2025 at 11:22 AM PST

Generations of Walt Disney Imagineers who conceived, designed and built the attractions and lands at Disneyland and Disney theme parks around the world lost their homes in the Eaton Fire that destroyed large swaths of Altadena.

Former Imagineer Joe Rohde took to Instagram on Wednesday, Jan. 8 to remember his time in the Altadena neighborhood and mourn the loss of countless homes owned by his fellow Imagineers.

“Most of the places where we all lived burnt to ashes last night,” Rohde wrote on Instagram. “The homes of many Imagineers who worked on many of the parks and attractions that Disney fans know and love are gone. Homes filled with memories, care, love and the expression of the same creative talent that went into the parks and films. Fire, when it comes, comes so fast that we must leave that all behind.”

Rohde is best known for his work on Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the Florida park’s Pandora — World of Avatar themed land, the Aulani resort hotel in Hawaii and the Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout attraction at Disney California Adventure.

“Pacific Palisades and Malibu are more famous and their equally devastating situation easily captures the nation’s eye,” Rohde wrote on Instagram. “But Altadena was our home and home base. And as of this evening much of my old neighborhood of Altadena has vanished and with it the homes of many of my dear friends and colleagues. Send a prayer.”

Rohde was born in California in 1955 — just two months after Disneyland opened in Anaheim.

The son of a Hollywood cameraman, he spent his spare time as a kid hanging out at studio backlots and movie ranches. After high school in Northridge, he studied art at Occidental College where he met his wife before landing a job at Walt Disney Imagineering in 1980 working on the upcoming Epcot theme park.

The couple soon settled in Altadena where they raised two sons.

“Way back when Imagineering was hiring for Epcot, one of the few places we young Imagineers could afford to get a house was Altadena, a sleepy, little foothill community full of wonderful old houses that needed some love and attention,” Rohde wrote on Instagram.

Rohde and his wife Mel both worked at Imagineering — headquartered in Glendale about 15 miles from their Altadena home. Many of their neighbors were fellow Imagineers making the same short commute.

“First, a few of us moved up there, and then more, until there was quite a population of Imagineers living in the Altadena foothills,” Rohde wrote on Instagram. “Over the decades new generations joined us. Our children grew up there, went to school, learned to drive, even got married where the palms and pines came together.”

Rohde retired from Imagineering in 2021, left Altadena and relocated further north to explore other passions. The family owns a cabin in Ojai.

Disney CEO Bob Iger also took to Instagram to document the wildfire devastation while driving through the Pacific Palisades.

“My heart goes out to everyone who has lost homes and businesses, and to all whose lives have been impacted, including thousands of Disney employees,” Iger wrote on Instagram.

Disney has closed offices in Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Friday, Jan. 10 to all nonessential employees due to the wildfires.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Disney CEO Bob Iger also took to Instagram to document the wildfire devastation while driving through the Pacific Palisades.

Will this be considered incentive. Seems to me to be.

 

[cabanafrau]

Will this be considered incentive. Seems to me to be.

No snark. By chance do you mean insensitive?

If you do mean incentive, incentive for what?

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

OOPS meant insensitive. Whats with the snark?
I mean thousands of people are loosing everything they own. And someone is talking about the wildlife which grows back and returns. I mean fire is part of wildlife, it has the ability to adapt overcome. Many of these families do not.

 

[cabanafrau]

OOPS meant insensitive. Whats with the snark?
I mean thousands of people are loosing everything they own.

No, no, just wanted to make it clear my question wasn't snarking or being critical. Simply didn't understand your meaning and wanted to clarify, not point and say, ooo, someoby made a tpyo.

 

[focusondisney]

Why is it insensitive? Why is it any different than other people posting pictures on various forums? He’s a private citizen who posted pictures of what he saw, how is that insensitive??

 

[sam_gordon]

OOPS meant insensitive. Whats with the snark?
I mean thousands of people are loosing everything they own. And someone is talking about the wildlife which grows back and returns. I mean fire is part of wildlife, it has the ability to adapt overcome. Many of these families do not.

Are we reading the same article?

Disney CEO Bob Iger also took to Instagram to document the wildfire devastation while driving through the Pacific Palisades.

“My heart goes out to everyone who has lost homes and businesses, and to all whose lives have been impacted, including thousands of Disney employees,” Iger wrote on Instagram.

Where does he say anything about wildlife?

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

I apologize. Didn't read it to carefully. I thought all the above quotes were from other person, and article simply pointed that Iger also too to instagram with part I quoted.
I most importantly missed the line below the line I quoted where he expressed sorrow for all the people going through this. I think I had stopped reading as I asked my initial question.

 

[tvguy]

You started off telling us in this thread your son and family are ten miles from one of the fires, so I (logically) assumed your frustration was out of worry and anxiety. It seems I stand corrected, and your frustration is merely the event wasn't getting the mass of reporting you feel it merited based on your experience in the news business.

I don't understand how you could have spent that many years in the business and not realize that frustration is routinely shared in any major news story with human collateral damage? On that scale this story is no different from thousands upon thousands of tragic and jarring events that have been in the news even before television. Many were frustrated when the 9/11 coverage overlooked Shanksville and DC just to focus on NYC.

Thanks. I think if you had access to some of the conversations on professional forums you would see this IS different and a lot of people have found the early on coverage substandard.

 

[Marrila]

Thanks. I think if you had access to some of the conversations on professional forums you would see this IS different and a lot of people have found the early on coverage substandard.

I think that discussion of criticism probably should be held on those professional forums. They have currently working and long retired who are interested in those discussions.

Many of us regular folks are impressed with the extensive hours of coverage provided by hardworking local network news teams. It's a public service that they make their coverage available on you tube.

 

[hardcorestitch]

If anyone is in the area right now, you need to do two more things whether or not you are close to the fires:

-CHARGE YOUR DEVICES (if PSPS has not occurred)
-DOWNLOAD ALL THE LOCAL NEWS STREAMING APPS

The fires have apparently reached Mt Wilson and TV antenna signals may not be an option in a few hours. The same thing is gonna happen for all AM/FM stations too. All the news updates may end up being streaming only. Even then, the cellular signals may also be impacted.

 

[Brian Noble]

My son is a grad student at UCLA, and lives a little over a mile from the "be prepared to leave" zone of the Palisades fire (he's just NE of Santa Monica, by like a block). He and his SO have decamped to San Diego to hang out with her sister until it is contained/burns itself out.

My son's college roommate (they were undergrads together at Michigan) is from Pacific Palisades. Their home is gone.

Oh, and my son also managed to catch the flu, so they've moved to an AirBnB in San Diego, so as to not infect their original hosts.

 

[Marrila]

My son's college roommate (they were undergrads together at Michigan) is from Pacific Palisades. Their home is gone.

Oh, and my son also managed to catch the flu, so they've moved to an AirBnB in San Diego, so as to not infect their original hosts.

I am so sorry to hear the news about the loss of the home in Pacific Palisades.
I hope your son feels much better soon. He's been through a lot in a short time, he must be worn out.

 

[DCLMP]

The fires are now being considered possibly man-set...and arson is strongly suspected in more than one of the fires burning...

Most of the time that's the case.

 

[DCLMP]

Thanks. I think if you had access to some of the conversations on professional forums you would see this IS different and a lot of people have found the early on coverage substandard.

As in people not getting enough information or warnings?

 

[Brian Noble]

He's been through a lot in a short time, he must be worn out.

Me: "How are you holding up?"
Him: "Definitely sick and tired and sad."

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I think that discussion of criticism probably should be held on those professional forums. They have currently working and long retired who are interested in those discussions.

Many of us regular folks are impressed with the extensive hours of coverage provided by hardworking local network news teams. It's a public service that they make their coverage available on you tube.

In addition if you have a fire stick that can give you places to go to for news. There is a news button you can press that brings up all different outlets including a collection of one's local news stations. Then there's a trending option a live option, etc. You can customize channels too. I went perusing it last week and found it pretty good

 

[ClaraOswald]

I found the graphics and images here to be interesting.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/01/08/us/maps-visuals-los-angeles-wildfires-dg/index.html