America is a vast land, and each region is prone to its own kind of disasters. In California, earthquakes and fires are our greatest fears. When news broke that the Pacific Palisades was on fire, I made my way to Santa Monica Beach. Near sunset, the sky became saturated with color – our sun looked like a red alien planet out of a sci-fi film. In the distance, a seagull flew in the smokey air. Forceful winds foretold that the disaster would not be ending anytime soon.