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The Los Angeles fires – let tragedy have its perfect way

The Los Angeles fires – let tragedy have its perfect way
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Sharon Dutra
Sharon Dutra Author and retired nurse who lives in Grover Beach, California. Visit betransformedministries.com
05 February, 2025 3 min read

People around the world will be familiar with the terrible fires which ravaged Southern California in January. Low humidity, high winds, and drought conditions proved a deadly cocktail, bringing disaster to vast areas around Los Angeles – the city where I was born and raised. To date, 29 people have died, with many thousands displaced from their homes. The cost of the damage is estimated to run into tens of billions of dollars.

I have a special affinity for the people who have been impacted, particularly by the Pacific Palisades Fire. As a 17-year-old, I attended Palisades High School for my senior year, and I was also married in that town. I’m not fond of LA as a rule, but I love the ocean, and some of the beach spots where I spent a good deal of time are among my fondest memories. They are now nothing but ash.

To add to the existing misery of the situation is the lack of response and ineptitude in the way that California handled the fire-fighting operations. Our culture is already in a maelstrom of anger and confusion, and these fires are just another catalyst for deepening mistrust and blame-shifting. While I am grieved for the tragedies in California, I believe that this may be a time for a potentially profound shift in the hearts and minds of those who have lost everything.

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