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Finding Burnt Pages of Books in Your Yard? Wildfire Experts Say That’s Normal

“Although it certainly offers a dramatic visual, seeing partially burnt pages from books and newspapers fall from this sky is an all-to-familiar experience for anyone who has experienced a major fire that destroyed numerous structures,” climate scientist Daniel Swain told L.A. TACO.

January 16, 2025

The Palisades I Loved, Then and Now

A West L.A.-raised photographer looks back at his sacred place in high school, turning his lens on the ruins that remain.

January 15, 2025

As Los Angeles Burns, Immigrants Mobilize

“We need to support each other. If we don’t do it, nobody’s going to do it,” one of the volunteers said through his N-95 mask.

January 15, 2025

How Wildfires Are Worsening Air Quality on L.A.’s Eastside

An interview with Stephen Ladochy, a professor emeritus at Cal State L.A. who specializes in climatology, addresses the diminishing air quality affecting Boyle Heights and what residents can do about it.

January 14, 2025

Debunking Six Videos and Images Spreading Gross Disinformation During L.A.’s Fires 

These videos can be dangerous, causing mass panic, outrage, danger, and enmity where it doesn’t need to be. It’s more urgent than ever that we learn to question what we see and avoid sharing things we cannot confirm or just outright created by AI.

January 14, 2025

Amid Wildfires, Hundreds Peacefully Protest Mass Deportation Threats In Downtown Los Angeles

Many of the protestors were children of immigrants, as well as young people born in the city, appearing there on behalf of their parents, who are living in fear amid widespread allegations of ICE Raids on the city’s streets.

January 13, 2025

Here Are the Facts About Mexico Sending Firefighters to Help with L.A.’s Wildfires

Despite online articles showing photos and videos and videos shared by influencers of the purported firefighters appearing at LAX or singing on their way to extinguish fires, L.A. TACO has verified that those videos are inaccurate and that firefighters have not arrived in Los Angeles.

January 10, 2025

‘This Is Not Human Driven,’ Officials Investigate Cause of Erroneous Evacuation Warnings

Kevin McGowan, Director of L.A.'s Office of Emergency Management, encouraged people not to disable emergency messages on their phones. “These alert tools have saved lives during this emergency. Not receiving an alert can be a consequence of life and death,” McGowan said. You can verify to see if you’re in an evacuation zone through alertla.org, lacounty.gov/emergency, or by dialing 211 for assistance.

January 10, 2025

Mayor Karen Bass Flies Back From Ghana As L.A. Faces Historic Wild Fires

“L.A. County and all 29 fire departments in our county are not prepared for this kind of widespread disaster,” said the L.A. County Fire Chief Marrone. The County was prepared to respond to one or two brush fires, but not four. “There are not enough firefighters to address four separate fires of this magnitude," he said.

January 8, 2025

L.A. TACO’s Most-Read Investigations Of 2024

In the past 12 months, L.A. TACO published investigations that other media outlets ignored or overlooked about people experiencing the worst food poisoning of their lives at a swanky food event, the alarming increase in people legally carrying guns in Los Angeles, hardworking restaurant workers struggling to get paid, cops watching a $1 million bus burn to the ground, and an attorney general who says he wants to free innocent people from prison but has yet to do so.

December 31, 2024