Yoshie Doi

January 10, 2025: Fire report sent from Los Angeles

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①Miyama Town Kayabuki Village simultaneous water spraying training
②Miyama Town Water spraying equipment
③Hand bucket for digestion water in Izuju  Photographed on November 1, 2023

　I sent a friend in Los Angeles an email to express my condolences for the fire, and he sent me several emails. My friend’s house is the closest to the Eaton Fire and is in a high-alert area, but it seems that no evacuation advisory has been issued. It has been outside the evacuation advisory area for the past two days, but his workplace is just outside the evacuation advisory area. (Apparently it is across from the animal shelter on the map in attached photo 1.)

　She told me that some of her patients had lost their homes and jobs, and that some of her colleagues were evacuating. She said that the storm was so strong all day on Tuesday this week that she was scared to drive home from work. At 6:30 in the evening, a colleague who lives in Pasadena sent me a photo that looked like a volcano was erupting. The photo above was taken from in front of her house, and her family went to a shelter that night.

　My friend woke up last Wednesday to a smoky smell even though she was inside her house, and when she watched the news, she saw that the fire was spreading. Outside, the smoke was even worse, and the windshield of her car was fogged up with soot. She went to work in the morning, but the hospital was closed due to an emergency. It was a very realistic email, and I was able to update her on my situation after a long time. I was surprised to see that the damage amount is estimated to be $150 billion. It is estimated to be the largest and most devastating fire damage in history.

　The Los Angeles wildfire has caused damage to over 12,000 buildings. Not only have they not been able to put out the fire despite the best efforts, but the fires are spreading one after another, and arsonists are appearing. What’s more, robberies are also occurring.

　When I heard that water was not coming out of the fire hydrant, I thought of Miyama-cho, Nantan City, Kyoto Prefecture. Miyama-cho is home to 39 thatched houses built in the Edo period that still stand today. Thatched houses are made of wood and thatch, so if a fire breaks out, there is a possibility that it will spread. To manage the risk of the entire town being wiped out, a water-spraying drill is held every spring and autumn.

　Japan has an abundance of water, so we are blessed with everything from food to clothing and shelter. Frend in Ross is a fellow Kyoto native who served as a director at the time of Kyosuzume’s founding. Japan and America are two countries with different cultures, and whenever he returns to Japan, he tells me about his experiences.

　Japanese culture and history have led to the creation of a system that manages risks against the ravages of nature.

　I have worn a real firefighter’s costume from the Edo period, which is made of quilted indigo-dyed cotton with washi paper sewn into it. Indigo is a dye that does not burn, and when washi paper is soaked in water and used to put out fires, it protects people. Even a long-established sushi restaurant has a hand bucket for use in case of fire. The wildfires in Los Angeles brought many things to mind.

　On the 12th, the areas around his home and workplace were removed from the alert zone, and he wrote, “The fire is still a long way from being put out, but things seem to be moving in a good direction.　She’d like to sleep in and relax this weekend.

　There are many things happening all over the world, but I can only pray for peace and for the safety of my friends. I also believe that the wisdom of Japanese people’s lives will continue to attract attention.

The end of document
Translated by Masami Otani

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