Chainsaws and Sirens
Today is Thursday, January 9, 2025. We’re a few days into the nightmare that is the Eaton Fire closest to my home in Pasadena. What remains are tears of total loss, exhaustion of front line workers, amber-hued, ashy, smoke-filled skies and the sounds of chainsaws and sirens filling the void.
The amount of trees that still block some of our streets, in spite of the swift response from city workers to remove them, is just sad. The 80 mile an hour winds in our area have slowed down considerably but in Eaton Canyon, where the fire is, it is a completely different story. Fires of that nature create their own weather systems so the winds caused by the fires are still blowing quite hard and presenting unending problems for the fire fighters.
Emergency services in town are on high alert and pretty much every city worker is on call - like my wife. Yesterday I drove to take some lunch to her and I passed a large group of fire fighters near one of their station houses. The amount of soot on their faces was a sight to see and the exhaustion in their eyes was palpable. Aside from the weight of just fighting the fires, they’re also trying to save people’s homes. The impact on them takes its toll which is all the more reason they need all of our support and prayers.
Personally, I have heard and read countless stories of my fellow musicians who have lost everything in these fires. Not just their homes but their instruments and the recording studios they built on their properties as well. Sure, It’s only stuff but the feeling of loss coursing through the music business is immense. Many of us are experiencing a sort of “loss in the Force.” This feeling of loss is in the ethos even if it didn’t directly hit us.
Suffice it to say that life, as many of us have known, will never be the same. Some will rebuild. Some will relocate. But the collective We will survive as has anyone who has gone through life-changing events like these fires. As a non-native Angeleno, I have observed the strength and resilience of the people from here. Maybe it’s the earthquakes. Maybe it’s the fires. I’m not sure what it is but they’re survivors.
This too will pass. The land will heal and hopefully our hearts will too. In the meantime, let us hold our fellow citizens-in-pain dearly in our thoughts and partner with them as they move through and redefine this thing called “life.”
©2025 Scott Mayo Music, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Unauthorized use and/or duplication without express written permission in prohibited.
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If you or someone you know in the music industry who has been affected by the LA County fires, visit https://musicares.org/get-help to apply for relief. You can also send an email to musicaresrelief@musicares.org or call 1-800-687-4227
Listen to the podcast
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqQOoPm2NZk&list=PLEK9iy7FdyRNFo4XCjhBs6lkLij2VvVZs
