WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.600 --> 00:00:02.919 This is Gary and Shannon and you're listening to KFI 2 00:00:03.080 --> 00:00:05.839 AM six forty, the Gary and Shannon Show on demand 3 00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:07.200 on the iHeartRadio app. 4 00:00:07.240 --> 00:00:07.799 A lot going on. 5 00:00:07.839 --> 00:00:10.560 We're continuing to update that to Middle East Deal, which 6 00:00:10.640 --> 00:00:12.720 now looks as though it might be voted upon by 7 00:00:14.119 --> 00:00:19.320 the Israel kinesset. I guess tomorrow after a pause in things, 8 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:20.879 but we'll talk about that. 9 00:00:20.920 --> 00:00:21.719 We'll go back. 10 00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:25.679 Around the Hecklers who went after Anthony Blincoln today. 11 00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:26.960 Yeah, the state procressor. 12 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:29.079 How do you get into a state department briefing to 13 00:00:29.320 --> 00:00:31.960 you know, to heckle and usually that's only open to 14 00:00:32.000 --> 00:00:32.960 credentialed reporters. 15 00:00:32.960 --> 00:00:33.719 It's a weird thing. 16 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:35.200 Yeah, that's the question I have. 17 00:00:35.399 --> 00:00:37.640 But back to the fires and a compelling story. 18 00:00:37.880 --> 00:00:41.560 Yeah, so you, thank goodness no new growth on the 19 00:00:41.560 --> 00:00:43.799 eating fire, but we know the damage that it has 20 00:00:43.880 --> 00:00:47.679 left behind. And we hear about, you know, this person 21 00:00:47.719 --> 00:00:49.640 lost a home, this person lost a home, and then 22 00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:55.000 we're hearing this family lost four homes, a son and kids, 23 00:00:55.079 --> 00:00:56.719 and so on and so forth. And that's one of 24 00:00:56.719 --> 00:01:01.039 these cases. With Steven Sippio, he's a live flong Altadena 25 00:01:01.159 --> 00:01:05.640 resident and his parents have been there for fifty three years. 26 00:01:06.480 --> 00:01:10.920 They lost their home and the home where Steven's kids 27 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:14.599 were living with their mother. They lost their home, and 28 00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:18.239 Stephen really was their hero in that he got everyone evacuated, 29 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:21.480 so everyone lived to tell That's the most important piece 30 00:01:21.519 --> 00:01:24.840 to this. But such an emotional story. Stephen Sipio is 31 00:01:24.879 --> 00:01:26.959 on the line right now. Steven. Good to have you. 32 00:01:28.000 --> 00:01:29.599 Hey, Marlin, thanks for having me. 33 00:01:29.959 --> 00:01:34.840 I did my best to summarize your ordeal that transpired 34 00:01:34.920 --> 00:01:37.239 last week. Why don't you tell the people what you 35 00:01:37.319 --> 00:01:37.879 just went through? 36 00:01:39.719 --> 00:01:42.400 Yeah, I mean, as you as you describe it, you 37 00:01:42.480 --> 00:01:44.920 did a great job. But it's like people tell me 38 00:01:44.920 --> 00:01:46.879 a little bit about grief and that it's going to 39 00:01:46.959 --> 00:01:50.519 come in waves, and I can't hear you describe that, 40 00:01:50.680 --> 00:01:53.799 you know what I mean without getting emotional, because that 41 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:59.120 is exactly what happened. Yeah, so we're just, you know, 42 00:01:59.439 --> 00:02:02.359 we're moving forward. I was fortunate enough to get my 43 00:02:03.040 --> 00:02:06.079 parents out and get my children and their mom out 44 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:09.520 after there was a delay there till about two thirty 45 00:02:09.520 --> 00:02:12.879 in the morning when the smoke was completely covering the house, 46 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:16.919 and then we rushed out, got them to safety, got 47 00:02:16.960 --> 00:02:20.039 to bed about four am. Woke up about seven. I 48 00:02:20.039 --> 00:02:23.120 couldn't sleep and then I just had to drive to Altadena. 49 00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:26.560 I drove up and I just saw Mayhem. Like I've 50 00:02:26.560 --> 00:02:29.639 showed you guys videos, It's just everything is on fire. 51 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:33.800 You can't see the sky, the smoke. It looks like midnight, 52 00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:35.960 but it's you know, nine o'clock in the morning. It's 53 00:02:36.080 --> 00:02:39.599 just it was just nothing. And you know. 54 00:02:39.719 --> 00:02:43.560 I'm just the devastation. The devastation was complete and no. 55 00:02:43.639 --> 00:02:45.240 And Mark, I want you to know this because I 56 00:02:45.280 --> 00:02:47.879 forgot to include this in his introduction as that Stephen 57 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:51.599 is a filmmaker and so he documented everything with the 58 00:02:51.599 --> 00:02:55.120 evacuation and the aftermath. It's an incredible video. 59 00:02:55.599 --> 00:02:56.000 Wow. 60 00:02:56.159 --> 00:02:59.120 Wow, Well I've got a season with that, and when 61 00:02:59.120 --> 00:03:02.360 it's posted online and when you put it all together, 62 00:03:02.360 --> 00:03:04.520 I mean, obviously they are different priorities now, but I 63 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:07.919 want to take you back to this because I don't 64 00:03:07.960 --> 00:03:10.199 know the story and I find it compelling. 65 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:12.360 So what was going on? 66 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:16.919 Take me into the moments when you first decided to evacuate. 67 00:03:17.159 --> 00:03:20.000 What will you talk about the smoke, et cetera. I'm 68 00:03:20.039 --> 00:03:21.680 curious about Yeah, go ahead. 69 00:03:22.599 --> 00:03:25.280 I was. I was visiting my children at the mom's 70 00:03:25.319 --> 00:03:29.120 house in Alta, Dina on Raymond and Wapello and my 71 00:03:29.240 --> 00:03:29.960 son comes. 72 00:03:29.800 --> 00:03:31.159 To me and said, I'm sorry. 73 00:03:32.360 --> 00:03:32.919 I'm sorry. 74 00:03:32.919 --> 00:03:34.439 Guys comes to me. 75 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:39.520 He says, he says, Dad, the sky is red. And 76 00:03:39.560 --> 00:03:42.879 I'm like, yeah, right, and then so I go to 77 00:03:42.960 --> 00:03:45.080 the window and I'm like, oh, shoot, it is red. 78 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:48.240 And then his mom is like, yeah, there's a fire. 79 00:03:48.319 --> 00:03:50.599 And then we've had fires in Altadena before, so she 80 00:03:50.719 --> 00:03:54.400 casually brushes it off. And then I do my part, 81 00:03:54.639 --> 00:03:57.080 what what are in my instincts? And I drive up 82 00:03:57.080 --> 00:03:59.599 to the highest point in Altadena to see what I 83 00:03:59.639 --> 00:04:02.560 can see get to buy a park, Farnsworth Park where 84 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:05.800 I trained my kids at on Lake Street, and I 85 00:04:05.919 --> 00:04:09.080 just see a bunch of sheriff officers and fire vehicles, 86 00:04:09.120 --> 00:04:11.319 but no fire engines. And then I talked to one 87 00:04:11.319 --> 00:04:13.159 of the sheriffs and he said, yeah, just you got 88 00:04:13.159 --> 00:04:14.759 to just try and get down the hill. This is 89 00:04:14.800 --> 00:04:18.560 before it even came close to us. And then I 90 00:04:18.600 --> 00:04:21.439 went down and I went to tell my parents, and 91 00:04:21.480 --> 00:04:23.879 my dad was getting in bed, and ironically, when I 92 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:26.959 was pulling up, his eighty five year old neighbor was, 93 00:04:27.040 --> 00:04:29.839 you know, making his way over to their house to 94 00:04:29.920 --> 00:04:33.279 tell them that they're going to evacuate because they're hearing 95 00:04:33.319 --> 00:04:36.160 it's pretty serious. So I said, I got this, mister hillstock, 96 00:04:36.560 --> 00:04:39.279 I go inside and get my parents up, get them together, 97 00:04:39.720 --> 00:04:43.079 and get them down to Pasadena to a hotel. And 98 00:04:43.120 --> 00:04:46.560 then I rushed back up to tell the mother of 99 00:04:46.639 --> 00:04:50.839 my kids and that we need to leave. And then 100 00:04:51.160 --> 00:04:53.600 she doesn't want to, like she's not taking it that 101 00:04:53.720 --> 00:04:56.160 serious because we kind of had seen this before. And 102 00:04:56.199 --> 00:04:58.720 then so I kind of get a little agitated, and 103 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:02.000 she just like was like, get out. So and when 104 00:05:02.480 --> 00:05:06.240 that's the drama within the drama. 105 00:05:06.120 --> 00:05:07.720 Right, because a lot of people don't want to leave, 106 00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:10.160 She's not the only one. And you literally sat in 107 00:05:10.199 --> 00:05:14.879 your car and on guard in front of the house. 108 00:05:15.160 --> 00:05:17.199 Yes, yeah, And I was on the opposite side of 109 00:05:17.199 --> 00:05:18.879 the street because that's how I could see the fire 110 00:05:18.920 --> 00:05:21.920 on the actual mountain. And then I just watched it 111 00:05:21.959 --> 00:05:24.079 like I went to sleep and and a car would 112 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:25.600 go by and I would I would wake up and 113 00:05:25.680 --> 00:05:28.920 be like an hour later and fast forward to I 114 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:31.759 watched the fire crawl across the hill until it was 115 00:05:31.800 --> 00:05:34.319 directly in front of us, and I have footage of 116 00:05:34.319 --> 00:05:38.199 this and everything. And then after I saw the fire, 117 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:41.399 the fire went away, and then the smoke stream had 118 00:05:41.480 --> 00:05:44.720 overtaken our street, so I couldn't see the fire, but 119 00:05:44.759 --> 00:05:46.639 I knew it was burning, and I just knew it 120 00:05:46.680 --> 00:05:50.560 was time. And they were coincidentally coming out the house 121 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:52.480 when I was getting out of the car to like 122 00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:54.120 I was going to break that door down if I 123 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:56.959 had to, and because I didn't know if they were 124 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:00.360 sleeping or whatever. And and then I got them down 125 00:06:00.360 --> 00:06:03.560 the hill, and then that's what I you know, you 126 00:06:03.600 --> 00:06:06.560 say around four in Yeah, yeah. 127 00:06:06.079 --> 00:06:08.639 That's an extraordinary story. It really is. 128 00:06:08.879 --> 00:06:11.319 I mean, the notion that you would park out front 129 00:06:11.480 --> 00:06:14.319 knowing that the threat was so imminent. 130 00:06:14.519 --> 00:06:17.439 Yeah, wow, it was never I was there was never 131 00:06:18.199 --> 00:06:20.160 and I couldn't set an alarm for like when I 132 00:06:20.199 --> 00:06:22.319 wanted to wake up. It was just like, it was 133 00:06:22.360 --> 00:06:24.040 never a moment in my life that I was going 134 00:06:24.120 --> 00:06:26.279 to allow them to be there and me to be 135 00:06:26.399 --> 00:06:29.680 somewhere else. How old are your kids? I had My 136 00:06:29.800 --> 00:06:32.480 daughter's fourteen and my son is eight. 137 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:33.160 Wow. 138 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:35.439 And my son's school burned down. It was like a 139 00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:38.160 couple of blocks of North Alma out to his school 140 00:06:38.160 --> 00:06:38.680 burned down. 141 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:41.319 Where are the kids now? Where is everybody now? 142 00:06:41.800 --> 00:06:47.720 So they're with their mom. We're going from Airbnb to Airbnb, which. 143 00:06:47.519 --> 00:06:49.079 Is a reality for so many people. 144 00:06:49.279 --> 00:06:53.160 You did have insurance, right, Stephen, Yes, yes, my parents 145 00:06:53.160 --> 00:06:56.240 had insurance and they're dealing with that whole situation. But 146 00:06:56.439 --> 00:06:58.319 it's kind of it's kind of weird, like when people 147 00:06:58.480 --> 00:07:01.839 ask me how can they and what go fund me? 148 00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:05.000 You know, it's kind of like three families. It's like, 149 00:07:05.439 --> 00:07:07.800 you know, my children and their mom. It's like me 150 00:07:07.879 --> 00:07:10.360 and my children, we both do for them equally, and 151 00:07:10.399 --> 00:07:12.399 then it's my parents. 152 00:07:12.120 --> 00:07:16.160 Sure generation and that so much of that community is 153 00:07:16.160 --> 00:07:18.279 filled with this sort of story, I mean, with as 154 00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:23.920 you say, generational connections. Uh, Stephens, thank you God. I 155 00:07:24.040 --> 00:07:27.079 find it. It's such a compelling story. And it's not over. 156 00:07:27.199 --> 00:07:29.839 I mean, are you going to stay in Altadena? Do 157 00:07:29.879 --> 00:07:30.920 you think when you build back? 158 00:07:31.480 --> 00:07:33.959 Yeah, there's no chance. I mean if you had a 159 00:07:34.079 --> 00:07:36.519 chance to, like, you know, be in this community and 160 00:07:36.560 --> 00:07:39.560 see these people and just know that how diverse it 161 00:07:39.639 --> 00:07:43.319 was and how calm. Like I've been I'm well traveled, 162 00:07:43.439 --> 00:07:45.560 so I've been like to the New York and I've 163 00:07:45.600 --> 00:07:47.720 been to the small towns in the South, and like 164 00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:50.360 I've seen it all. And I lived in Badnor's, Louisiana 165 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:53.279 for two years and like I've come back home to Altadena, 166 00:07:53.399 --> 00:07:56.360 Like there's no felt so good, you know, no place. 167 00:07:56.199 --> 00:07:57.439 Like home, No place like home. 168 00:07:57.759 --> 00:07:59.639 Listen, I'm going to reach out to you separately because 169 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:01.759 I want to get you on my show on YouTube 170 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:04.319 and show some of your footage and hear more about 171 00:08:04.360 --> 00:08:08.279 your story. And I'll look forward to talking to you 172 00:08:08.439 --> 00:08:11.560 more and following your progress even in building back in Altadena. 173 00:08:11.639 --> 00:08:13.279 Is that cool? Yeah? 174 00:08:13.399 --> 00:08:15.439 Thank you guys so much for just signing a little 175 00:08:15.519 --> 00:08:16.639 light on our town. 176 00:08:16.920 --> 00:08:17.480 Yeah. 177 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:21.360 Wow, Steven Sippio, thank you for joining us at KOFI. Wow, 178 00:08:21.519 --> 00:08:27.839 what day story. You know, these charities that are emerging 179 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:32.039 associated with the fires and trying to support so many 180 00:08:32.039 --> 00:08:32.919 who are displaced. 181 00:08:33.039 --> 00:08:35.360 There's so many charities, and there's a whole lot of 182 00:08:35.360 --> 00:08:36.240 scammers out there. 183 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:38.080 I guess that's what I'm trying to figure out, because 184 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:42.120 today at the press conference, they had said that the 185 00:08:42.159 --> 00:08:47.000 Firefighter Relief Fund hadn't yet been set up, and. 186 00:08:46.919 --> 00:08:50.440 They actually made this point yesterday they said, look, we're 187 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:53.600 hearing from so many of you who want to donate 188 00:08:54.120 --> 00:08:58.000 to Ellie County Fire or even of course LAFD, all 189 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:03.240 the agencies to help support our look firefighters and Maroney 190 00:09:03.279 --> 00:09:07.039 the chief of La County Fire said yesterday, we just 191 00:09:07.120 --> 00:09:10.639 haven't organized that yet, so we don't have a direct fund. 192 00:09:10.720 --> 00:09:14.200 So maybe you've given money, but it's not necessarily linked 193 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:17.080 to us officially. He made the point today, but he 194 00:09:17.240 --> 00:09:21.200 did say that there's a little bit of progress in that. 195 00:09:22.440 --> 00:09:27.120 Yesterday, the Los Angeles County Fire Department made good progress 196 00:09:27.600 --> 00:09:31.360 towards partnering with a reputable five OHO one C three 197 00:09:32.039 --> 00:09:36.399 that we'll be able to accept cash checks and electronic 198 00:09:36.480 --> 00:09:41.480 donations for the Los Angeles County Fire Department. I ask 199 00:09:41.720 --> 00:09:46.919 interested donors to be patient as we finalize our donation process, 200 00:09:47.559 --> 00:09:51.279 and I thank you for wanting to support our brave 201 00:09:51.559 --> 00:09:54.679 Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighters. 202 00:09:55.679 --> 00:09:57.639 So keyword reputable. 203 00:09:57.960 --> 00:10:02.960 Yeah, but they're are already a long list of charities, 204 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:05.279 and I'm just does that mean that they are not reputable? 205 00:10:05.879 --> 00:10:06.120 Right? 206 00:10:06.759 --> 00:10:11.000 Not necessarily exactly, yes, So it's very hard to distinguish. 207 00:10:11.000 --> 00:10:15.120 So you end up I think gravitating toward U. Two things. 208 00:10:15.159 --> 00:10:18.000 I would say, One, charities that you know, I mean 209 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:19.639 things that you have confidence on to say, salage and 210 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:24.960 army argument across exactly. I mean Jimmy Kimmel, I think 211 00:10:25.200 --> 00:10:27.879 posted I want to say it was the it's the 212 00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:31.559 World Kitchen Charity essocially, Yeah, done so, so you know 213 00:10:31.600 --> 00:10:35.240 that that's you know, that's a solid charity. But beyond that, 214 00:10:35.720 --> 00:10:38.639 there are lists of their animal charities, and there are 215 00:10:39.240 --> 00:10:42.639 many other charities to support first responders and and and 216 00:10:42.679 --> 00:10:48.120 their families. And you question, and I'm leaving out the 217 00:10:48.159 --> 00:10:51.759 myriad of go fund me offerings. I mean, there are 218 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:55.879 stories after story after story of go fund me a 219 00:10:56.039 --> 00:11:00.120 posts that will tell you a tale and you'll just 220 00:11:00.120 --> 00:11:02.360 want to empty your pockets to try to help these people. 221 00:11:02.720 --> 00:11:06.440 And I don't know, I guess GoFundMe do they vet 222 00:11:06.720 --> 00:11:09.600 these stories or you can pretty much tell whatever story 223 00:11:09.600 --> 00:11:09.919 you want. 224 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:13.480 Yeah, I mean that's a great question. The vetting process 225 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:16.720 at GoFundMe the other thing to think about. And Supervisor 226 00:11:16.759 --> 00:11:19.080 Barger was on this, you need to get a follow 227 00:11:19.159 --> 00:11:22.399 up on it. But when you make a GoFundMe donation, 228 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:27.600 it comes with a price. You have to pay a fee. Sure, 229 00:11:27.840 --> 00:11:31.679 So Supervisor Barger was trying to make a five hundred 230 00:11:31.679 --> 00:11:37.159 dollars donation to a friend impacted by the fires, and 231 00:11:37.600 --> 00:11:41.080 the fee for her five hundred dollars donation was ninety 232 00:11:41.120 --> 00:11:46.279 five dollars, and so she reached out to the head 233 00:11:46.320 --> 00:11:49.759 of gofund me to say, hey, can we waive these 234 00:11:49.799 --> 00:11:52.480 fees for right now? Sure, I mean, there are thousands 235 00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:55.600 of go Fundme pages anyway, but now tack on the 236 00:11:55.639 --> 00:11:58.799 devastation that we're seeing here in southern California, and we 237 00:11:58.840 --> 00:12:01.360 shouldn't have to be paying all of these fees just 238 00:12:01.399 --> 00:12:02.559 trying to help somebody else. 239 00:12:02.759 --> 00:12:04.840 Well, I understand that you've got to pay a fee 240 00:12:04.879 --> 00:12:07.240 to a platform. I mean I understand or that when 241 00:12:07.240 --> 00:12:09.519 I say you've got to, I mean that these platforms 242 00:12:09.679 --> 00:12:13.080 generally designate some part of your donation that goes to 243 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:17.600 the fee of maintaining the platform. The platforms are valuable 244 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:21.519 and it's helpful if you can support them, but as 245 00:12:21.559 --> 00:12:25.080 you say, sometimes the fees are just ridiculously high. 246 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:27.559 Yeah, astronomical. So in this case, she's not saying to 247 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:31.240 waive the fees forever, but can we at least decrease 248 00:12:31.320 --> 00:12:33.320 them during this time of crisis. 249 00:12:33.440 --> 00:12:36.320 And so all of this coexists with the opportunism that 250 00:12:36.360 --> 00:12:40.200 comes with these moments of crisis that happens in hurricanes, 251 00:12:40.200 --> 00:12:44.120 and it's happened now in these fires. So I'm really 252 00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:49.159 interested to see when these firefighter relief funds get powered up, 253 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:51.720 and as you say, with a reputable organization, the La 254 00:12:51.759 --> 00:12:54.919 County Fire Chief is making that point and so we 255 00:12:54.960 --> 00:12:58.399 can actually support those men and women who we are. 256 00:12:58.279 --> 00:12:59.240 So grateful to. 257 00:12:59.600 --> 00:13:02.679 I do to talk about the super Scooper aircraft, you know, Marlo, 258 00:13:02.759 --> 00:13:06.679 we want to cover why we don't buy them, you know, 259 00:13:06.720 --> 00:13:09.200 we lease them on ninety days cycles, and we'll get 260 00:13:09.200 --> 00:13:14.039 into that next as we continue. It's interesting because as 261 00:13:14.080 --> 00:13:16.799 we fight these fires, and they have to be fought 262 00:13:17.279 --> 00:13:20.960 specifically from the air, the questions as to what kind 263 00:13:21.039 --> 00:13:24.320 of aircraft you get, whether you lease, whether you buy 264 00:13:24.759 --> 00:13:27.960 these become super relevant and we'll get into some of 265 00:13:28.000 --> 00:13:28.519 that next. 266 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:32.919 Yeah, we're also going to talk about the other sad 267 00:13:33.039 --> 00:13:35.600 element to all these fires, and that is missing pets. 268 00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:38.720 So many pets have gone missing because of the fires. 269 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:42.000 But we have a great organization who's doing wonderful things 270 00:13:42.039 --> 00:13:43.519 to reunite pets and owners. 271 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:47.320 And now there's one number you can call a clearing 272 00:13:47.320 --> 00:13:50.399 house for those owners who are trying to find their 273 00:13:50.440 --> 00:13:53.799 pets or describe where the pet is lost. So all 274 00:13:53.799 --> 00:13:55.799 of that is still to come. We're just kind of 275 00:13:56.679 --> 00:14:00.679 we're fillers. Well, there's that because you're rap we're wrapping. 276 00:14:00.720 --> 00:14:03.799 There's no question that's true. We're just wrapping up a 277 00:14:03.879 --> 00:14:07.120 lot of fire stuff, loose ends on fire, and these 278 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:10.279 are loose ends that will continue. There are questions about 279 00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:13.600 First of all, there's stuff that's happening now which we 280 00:14:13.840 --> 00:14:16.360 continue to update, and I'll give you just one example 281 00:14:16.399 --> 00:14:20.440 of that. There are now centralized numbers for those who 282 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:25.759 are missing animals and if you've found a stray animal. 283 00:14:26.679 --> 00:14:30.279 Now the city has a central number. This is La City. 284 00:14:30.480 --> 00:14:35.080 That number is two one three two seven zero eighty 285 00:14:35.120 --> 00:14:39.759 one fifty five. Again two one three, two seven, zero 286 00:14:40.440 --> 00:14:44.039 eighty one fifty five, So that's a sort of centralized number. 287 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:46.879 And there's also a number for Altadena for the eaten 288 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:50.559 fire orphaned animals. Should you find one, should you be 289 00:14:50.720 --> 00:14:57.799 missing one six two six five, seven, seven thirty seven 290 00:14:57.960 --> 00:15:01.159 fifty two six two six. I have seven, seven, thirty 291 00:15:01.200 --> 00:15:03.960 seven fifty two. So those numbers, and we'll give them 292 00:15:03.960 --> 00:15:05.440 to you again before the end of the show. 293 00:15:05.679 --> 00:15:08.320 But yeah, yeah, And in addition to that, coming up 294 00:15:08.360 --> 00:15:12.120 in the next hour, we have joining us somebody from 295 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:16.399 a service called Love Lost. They've been around before the 296 00:15:16.440 --> 00:15:21.039 fires started This is a Petco organization. We're familiar with Petco, 297 00:15:22.039 --> 00:15:26.240 but they reunite pets, lost pets and owners and how 298 00:15:26.279 --> 00:15:30.720 they do it is really very cool. It's high tech 299 00:15:30.960 --> 00:15:36.320 and they've had seventy five thousand reunions already and they've 300 00:15:36.360 --> 00:15:39.639 already had several and that's in its history in four years, 301 00:15:39.720 --> 00:15:42.799 but they've already had several. As it relates to the 302 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:47.799 fire zone. So the executive director of that service will 303 00:15:47.840 --> 00:15:49.279 be joining us in the next hour. 304 00:15:49.519 --> 00:15:53.080 So many emotional stories related to animals. When you see 305 00:15:53.080 --> 00:15:56.000 them reunited, it's like, oh, it's instant. 306 00:15:55.679 --> 00:15:56.240 Choking, I know. 307 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:58.360 And then the little ones that have you know, suffered 308 00:15:58.440 --> 00:15:59.600 burns and they're. 309 00:16:00.039 --> 00:16:05.279 There's some brutal, brutal realities that have followed everything. 310 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:07.240 Listen. 311 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:11.840 The question that is often asked is how come we 312 00:16:11.919 --> 00:16:13.440 don't have super scoopers? 313 00:16:14.039 --> 00:16:17.039 Why do we lease them? Why don't we in California 314 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:18.240 own them? 315 00:16:18.960 --> 00:16:23.399 And the answers are interesting because superscoopers are obviously capable 316 00:16:23.399 --> 00:16:27.200 of picking up these immense quantities of water fifteen hundred 317 00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:30.840 gallons of water from large bodies of water like the ocean, 318 00:16:30.960 --> 00:16:37.000 and we're right alongside. And the minute they got involved 319 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:41.559 in everything that we've been dealing with. It was something 320 00:16:41.600 --> 00:16:45.039 that changed the entire landscape immediately, but. 321 00:16:45.480 --> 00:16:48.320 Not for long though, because they were seen in the 322 00:16:48.360 --> 00:16:52.960 first day of the firefight. We have two on loan 323 00:16:53.000 --> 00:16:58.360 from Canada, and then the winds were just too treacherous 324 00:16:58.399 --> 00:17:00.480 that they had to land. And then and they did 325 00:17:00.480 --> 00:17:03.519 go up again, one of them got shot by a 326 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:07.359 drone or got hit struck by a drone and damaged 327 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:07.799 the wing. 328 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:13.000 So but again, when they're up though, they are total 329 00:17:13.039 --> 00:17:16.720 game changer. It's just yeah, then they're grounded based on 330 00:17:17.240 --> 00:17:21.720 conditions generally, So what tends to happen in California is 331 00:17:21.720 --> 00:17:26.559 that we favor helicopter involvement. Helicopters are good for tactical 332 00:17:26.599 --> 00:17:28.759 stuff from what I understand. In other words, they can 333 00:17:28.799 --> 00:17:31.759 put out fires in very sort of pinpoint ways. Plus 334 00:17:31.799 --> 00:17:35.039 the buckets can pick up water from a lot of 335 00:17:35.079 --> 00:17:37.440 different places. They don't need to the scoopers need to 336 00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:40.039 go over a larger body of water. They have to 337 00:17:40.119 --> 00:17:42.880 keep moving, if you will, you were describing this yesterday, 338 00:17:43.119 --> 00:17:46.759 I think it was yesterday, and the days run together. 339 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:50.720 But the helicopters, their buckets can just even pick up 340 00:17:50.759 --> 00:17:53.880 water out of a pool, so they are able to 341 00:17:54.039 --> 00:17:58.039 quickly respond, but obviously don't drop as much water as 342 00:17:58.119 --> 00:17:59.400 you can get from a super school. 343 00:17:59.480 --> 00:18:03.160 Yeah, and we can also access places that are harder 344 00:18:03.160 --> 00:18:06.559 to reach, more so than the Super Scooper. So that's 345 00:18:06.599 --> 00:18:10.559 why the California's State Fire Marshal says helicopters do just 346 00:18:10.640 --> 00:18:13.519 find for US plus and the feet they have for 347 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:17.119 all of California. They have a diverse arsenal firefighting tools, 348 00:18:17.119 --> 00:18:21.119 including twenty three air tankers that do carry up to 349 00:18:21.160 --> 00:18:25.319 twelve hundred gallons of water mixed with fire retardant. So 350 00:18:25.640 --> 00:18:29.000 there are we do have tools in our tool box 351 00:18:29.079 --> 00:18:33.240 that do carry and even exceed the Super Scoopers sixteen 352 00:18:33.319 --> 00:18:36.960 hundred gallons or fifteen hundred gallons. But still the question remains, 353 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:38.599 why not just have our own? Why do we have 354 00:18:38.680 --> 00:18:42.400 to do this ninety day increment? And I was pretty 355 00:18:42.400 --> 00:18:45.079 struck to read that there are only one hundred and 356 00:18:45.119 --> 00:18:47.960 sixty Super Scoopers in the entire world. 357 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:49.400 Yeah, it's an extraordinary thing. 358 00:18:49.400 --> 00:18:51.599 They're used in Europe and I think they're built in Canada, 359 00:18:52.039 --> 00:18:55.160 and their distribution to the world is such that it 360 00:18:55.440 --> 00:18:58.519 is sort of covering you wide areas of the world. 361 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:00.400 With a very small number of these. 362 00:19:00.160 --> 00:19:06.599 Things, and there are there's been basically one model. They 363 00:19:06.640 --> 00:19:10.319 haven't really changed the model. It's worked, and so why 364 00:19:10.839 --> 00:19:14.160 try to fix what's not broken. And there's not a 365 00:19:14.160 --> 00:19:17.000 lot of alternatives to Super Scoopers, so much so that 366 00:19:17.119 --> 00:19:20.920 tech startups are trying to race right now to build bigger, 367 00:19:21.000 --> 00:19:25.880 more powerful fire fighting drones, but most are still under development. 368 00:19:25.960 --> 00:19:29.799 So the Super Scooper it is a premiere aircraft for 369 00:19:29.880 --> 00:19:35.400 these special missions, but it doesn't seem that the US 370 00:19:35.759 --> 00:19:40.200 has any plans to buy their own. It's an interesting 371 00:19:40.279 --> 00:19:44.960 question given that we used to have wildfire season, and 372 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:48.880 essentially it's wildfire season at least nine months out of 373 00:19:48.920 --> 00:19:49.680 the year here. 374 00:19:49.759 --> 00:19:52.200 And by the way, the fires that we're playing out 375 00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:54.960 here in southern California and in California generally, it's being 376 00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:56.160 played out across the world. 377 00:19:56.200 --> 00:19:57.839 Look at Australia, look at Europe. 378 00:19:57.880 --> 00:20:01.079 I mean, these are fires that are burning hotter, longer, 379 00:20:01.400 --> 00:20:05.079 and over much bigger areas than ever before in modern history. 380 00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:08.720 So these Superscoopers are in demand. And as you say, 381 00:20:08.839 --> 00:20:13.559 tech startups are trying to build bigger and more powerful 382 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:16.440 firefighting drones typically is what they're looking at. 383 00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:19.920 But that will take take a very very long time. 384 00:20:20.440 --> 00:20:25.720 So with all this demand around the world, again, California 385 00:20:26.039 --> 00:20:31.000 leases these in ninety day cycles and that's worked for us. 386 00:20:32.240 --> 00:20:34.240 We'll have to see moving forward whether we want to 387 00:20:34.279 --> 00:20:38.599 invest in the technologies associated with having super scoopers ready 388 00:20:38.599 --> 00:20:40.680 to go all the time. As you say, it's a 389 00:20:40.720 --> 00:20:45.839 year round thing, but as it sits now, it's more 390 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:49.480 cost effective for California just to lease them. 391 00:20:49.559 --> 00:20:52.960 I don't know the price tag though for the ninety days. 392 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:55.880 I don't see anything on the price tag, and in 393 00:20:55.960 --> 00:20:57.960 all of the different materials that I'm looking at, I 394 00:20:57.960 --> 00:21:00.200 don't see anything on but we're actually paying I mean, 395 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:05.319 that's a knowable thing. But you know there's a lot 396 00:21:05.400 --> 00:21:09.039 made of the environmental side of this there, meaning you know, 397 00:21:09.079 --> 00:21:13.079 when you scoop up salt water and you have this 398 00:21:13.160 --> 00:21:17.240 high salinity water that's being dropped on vegetation, it can 399 00:21:17.359 --> 00:21:21.519 damage the vegetation below. Much is made of that. I 400 00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:23.359 don't know if that really holds water, if you'll part 401 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:27.240