Ask Lahaina and Paradise if sticking around is effective. 

While yes, it’s true that embers do the damage, and oftentimes they could be caught early and small…(I didn’t leave when the Tick Fire hit me) it takes real discernment to know when it’s “oh shit” time on a wildfire and most people don’t have that and would die. 

I know a few people stayed and their home survived. I know some who stayed and died with the garden hose in their hand. Those are shit odds. Basically a coin toss. Imagine 50% death rate if the entire Palisades population stayed? 

I said “some people stayed and their home survived” not “stayed and saved their home” for a reason. They likely just got lucky. It’s you versus a trillion embers. You may have just been in a spot slightly out of alignment. I saw the video James Woods’ neighbor shot. That mofo was *lucky*. He was in a spot that was not burning like it really could have, and if it had broken bad, he was toast. 

You can tag the embers that catch in your gutters. If embers get in your attic, you ain’t catching it. Sorry. 

I say it all the time: evacuation is dangerous and it ain’t always the right move. But you MUST know wildfire if you’re gonna stay. Most people simply don’t. I’m all for people getting more educated and taking personal responsibility for their homes…but if I encouraged someone to stay and they died??? I could never live with myself. 

Be smart, people.