Apple News Today The true toll of the Los Angeles fires
12 snips
Jan 17, 2026 
Jacob Soboroff, a senior reporter for MS NOW and author of "Firestorm: The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster," shares gripping insights from his firsthand experience with the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. He discusses the chaotic evacuation process, the emotional dilemmas faced by residents, and the political fallout from the disaster. Soboroff also delves into critical issues like firefighting limitations, misinformation, and the community's resilience in the face of loss, urging for better disaster preparedness for the future.
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Fragmented Emergency Communication
- Official alerts and systems struggled to reach residents during rapid fire spread, leaving people reliant on TV, apps, and group texts.
- That fragmentation created chaotic evacuations and many people fleeing on foot or abandoning cars.
Information Around Radios And Apps
- Locals used apps like Waz-Duty and Genesis Protect, and relied on radio when power failed.
- Jacob compared crowds gathered around radios to the shared shock he remembered from 9/11.
Why People Hesitate To Evacuate
- Many residents hesitated to evacuate because the idea a whole community could be destroyed felt unreal until it was too late.
- People made personal risk calculations that sometimes proved fatal or costly.
