SINGULAR CITY THAT TRAFFICS IN
FANTASY, KNOWS REAL-LIFE TRAGEDY
AND CATASTROPHE ALL TOO WELL.
L.A. ALSO KNOWS HOW TO BATTLE
BACK.
HOW DOES IT KEEP BEATING THE
ODDS?
AS KEITH MORRISON TELLS US, IT
HAS MORE THAN MOVIE MAGIC.
♪
>> Reporter: WHAT A CRAZY IDEA
IT IS.
WHAT A BIT OF MADNESS.
THIS VAST, SPRAWLING CITY,
COLLECTION OF CITIES ON AN EARTH
QUAKE-PRONE, DROUGHT-PRONE,
DESERT BY THE SEA.
WHAT WERE WE THINKING?
EVEN THE WATER, WATER TO DRINK,
WATER TO WATER, WATER TO FIGHT
THE FIRES IMPORTED FROM
SOMEWHERE ELSE, LIKE THE PEOPLE.
AND, YES, IT IS GLORIOUS AND
INSPIRED AND HAS GIVEN THE WHOLE
WORLD A HUNDRED YEARS OF DRAMA
AND JOY AND LAUGHTER, ITS NAMES
AND FACES KNOWN AND LOVED AND
LOATHED BY HUMANS EVERYWHERE.
AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE, IT IS
JUST IMPOSSIBLE.
>> I’M TRYING TO FIND MY DAD.
>> Reporter: THIS IS HOW LIVING
IN L.A. FEELS TO A LOT OF PEOPLE
JUST NOW, IMPOSSIBLE AND
TERRIFYING.
>> THE FLAMES ARE LEAPING RIGHT
OVER US.
>> Reporter: THIS ONE, MANY
FIRES AT ONCE, IS PERHAPS THE
WORST OF THEM.
BUT THERE ARE SO MANY, MANY
STORIES IN THE HISTORY OF THIS
GREAT UNITED CITY.
THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH LOSS.
>> FIRE HAS JUMPED MULHOLLAND AT
THE CREST OF SANTA MONICA.
IT’S HEADED TOWARD BEL AIR.
>> Reporter: THIS WAS 1961, AND
IT WAS BEL AIR.
THIS ONE DESTROYED 484 HOMES,
CHEWED THROUGH 6,000 ACRES OF
PRIME REAL ESTATE.
BURT LANCASTER’S HOUSE BURNED
DOWN AND DENNIS HOPPERS.
>> I’M TOM BROWKAWBROKAW.
>> Reporter: THIS ONE IN 1993
TOOK OUT A GIANT SWATH OF
LAGUNA.
AND THERE WERE ALWAYS MORE, ONE
FIRE AFTER ANOTHER THROUGH SANTA
ANA WINDS OF WINTER SO DRY THAT
OAK ANDBIGGED TO BE EDGED EDGED
BURNED.
HAVE THE FIRES AND THE DROUGHTS
AND THE FLOODS AND THE
EARTHQUAKES AND THE GRIDLOCK AND
HOUSING PRICES THAT ARE CLEARLY
INSANE, AND STILL WE COME HERE,
BECAUSE THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT
LOS ANGELES, THIS SIREN OF A
CITY BY THE SEA, THAT PULLS US
IN AND MAKES US STAY EVEN IF WE
TELL OURSELVES WE PROBABLY
SHOULDN’T.
WILL IT BE DIFFERENT THIS TIME
NOW IT’S WORSE, MUCH WORSE?
THAT GREAT FIRE OF ’93 TOOK OUT
SOMETHING LIKE 700 HOUSES.
THIS TIME, 31 YEARS LATER, MORE
THAN 10,000 HOMES HAVE BEEN
LOST.
YOU’LL ARGUE, OF COURSE, ABOUT
MITIGATION PRACTICES, ABOUT WHAT
WE SHOULD HAVE DONE, AND ABOUT
CLIMATE CHANGE FOR SURE.
IS THAT WHAT MADE THIS ONE SO
BIG, SO BAD?
BUT HERE IS AN EASY PREDICTION.
THOUGH IT WILL BE VERY
DIFFICULT, IT WILL ALL BE
REBUILT.
AND MOST OF US WILL STAY.
AND MORE WILL COME TO THIS GREAT
MESS OF A CITY, EVEN IF AT THE
MOMENT IT FEELS LIKE THE END OF
THE WORLD.
>>> THANKS, KEITH, FOR REMINDING
US OF THE STRANGE POWER OF THAT
CAPTIVATING CITY, ONE THAT KEEPS
SO MANY OF US COMING BACK IN
GOOD TIMES AND SOMETIMES EVEN
BAD.
YOU CAN CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS
STORY WITH LIVE UPDATES ON NBC
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APP.
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TOMORROW ON "TODAY" AND "NBC
NIGHTLY NEWS."
YOUR LOCAL NEWS IS NEXT.
I’M LESTER HOLT.
FOR ALL OF US AT NBC NEWS, GOOD
NIGHT.