When thinking about natural disasters, it’s important to consider that the scope of their destruction depends on whether they strike a wilderness area or a human population center. Bearing this in mind, consider the population growth of Los Angeles between 1850 and 2020.

Now consider that 170 years is a blink of geologic time. Bearing this in mind, I believe it logically follows that it was just a matter of time before the sprawling human development of Los Angeles County got struck with a major fire that would consume entire neighborhoods.

In 2005 I researched a true story that happened in Malibu in 1991, which prompted me to do a bit of research on the fire hazard in greater Los Angeles. It quickly became apparent to me that on any given year, the elements could be in place for a conflagration that would destroy much of the city—the Santa Ana wind being the most dangerous factor.

In other words, the fire hazard to the human development of Los Angeles County has not been a theoretical possibility, but a clear and present danger. Given that Los Angeles County comprises the second largest population center in the United States, it seems to me that far more should have been invested in bolstering its security.

Much of the 870 billion that the U.S. government wastes every year on defense spending—purportedly to secure the nation from mostly fictional foreign bogeymen— should be spent on bolstering the critical infrastructure of American cities.

If you disagree with me, ask yourself which is a bigger threat to Southern California—foreign adversaries or wildfires? The answer is painfully obvious to anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear. Trouble is, most of what passes for leadership in this country has neither.

This morning I saw the following video of Joe Rogan predicting the LA disaster. At least the world’s greatest podcaster has eyes to see and ears to hear.