The Palisades Fire: A Sandcastles Special

As the nation watched in shock and horror as the Palisades Fire brought Los Angeles to its knees, a group of civilians stepped up to defend their home turf. The Community Brigade Program is a first-in-the nation experiment that trains everyday people to work alongside first responders during disasters. Host Adriana Cargill takes us into the heart of Palisades Fire to ride alongside with two childhood friends who risk everything to save the place they call home. 

In an age of unstoppable wildfires, meet the people finding a new way forward. We take you into the heart of the deadly Palisades Fire with the everyday men and women who stepped forward to defend their community.

This is an episode from LAist Studios, the creators of The Big One. This next installment of The Big Disaster series will provide you with a wildfire survival guide that includes not just tangible safety tips — but hope for our future. In this episode, host Jacob Margolis examines why trees that are adapted to living with fire are now burning and how we might save them. To listen to the rest of this 10-part series, visit The Big Burn or find The Big Disaster: The Big Burn wherever you listen to podcasts.

One of the Point Dume Bombers who lost his home in the Woolsey Fire uses his pain and loss as fuel for action. He embarks on a quest to change the way we live with wildfire. The LA County Fire Department, Malibu City Council members, everyday citizens, and other fire brigades in Malibu join his quest to create a new model of community resilience. Five years later, his relentless drive might just payoff: the Community Brigade Pilot Program is ever so close to becoming a reality.

When Point Dume Bombers are pushed to their limits, will they survive the test? Part 2 of the Under Siege episode chronicles life in the harrowing aftermath of the Woolsey Fire.