May is becoming the month for covering natural disasters in this column. Last year, as I began writing, an earthquake gave the office a good shaking. Later in the article I mentioned recent rainstorms creating flooding. Then I said the wildfire season here in California would be starting in six months. Little did I know.

On Jan. 7, 2025, the notorious Santa Ana Winds hit the Los Angeles area. These desert winds bring hot, dry air to coastal areas. A combination of more than 50 mph winds and humidity below 10% in an area that has not seen rain for six months always causes fires. Under those conditions, it only takes a tiny spark to create raging wildfires.

And that’s exactly what happened. Several fires started in rural areas north and east of Los Angeles where there were not many people. But two fires also started in the foothills near densely populated towns—one in the Angeles National Forest in the San Gabriel Mountains near Altadena and another in the Santa Monica Mountains near Pacific Palisades, which is the next town over from us. Within hours, the fires had reached populated areas and began burning houses.

Firefighters were faced with a monumental task. Houses built on hillsides were surrounded by dry vegetation and trees. The iconic California palm tree is highly flammable—a big problem in some areas. The mountain roads are narrow and winding, and it can be difficult to get fire engines to needed areas. There is also often insufficient water to fight fires around the hillside homes. 

In Altadena and Pacific Palisades, the firefighters were unable to stop the fires before they reached densely populated neighborhoods. In California, houses are mainly made of wood because it’s a flexible material in case of earthquakes. Where houses are close to each other, the fire becomes difficult to control. Heat from flames and burning embers spread the fires quickly.

Thousands of homes and buildings were destroyed before the fires were contained. Neighborhoods were destroyed. The fire even jumped the famous Pacific Coast Highway and burned rows of beachfront homes. 

We had a ringside seat to the fire in Pacific Palisades. At one point, the evacuation zone was only three blocks from us. The fires were stopped only a mile away. We went ahead and evacuated for several days because of the threat of fire and air quality. 

The local news kept us informed about the fires. Reporters and photographers managed to get some photos and footage, which you have probably seen in the news. 

Aerial cable installation problems

One video caught my attention. The Los Angeles Times posted a video of beach houses along the Pacific Coast Highway burning to the ground. The startling part of this video was the intense heat radiating from the house fires also burned nearby utility poles and cables. I’ve seen the results of fires on utility poles before, but I’ve never seen heat so intense it could incinerate aerial cables.

North along the roadway ran a dozen or more aerial fiber optic cables connecting Malibu to the Los Angeles area. On the other side of the roadway, the city of Malibu had recently installed 7½ miles of underground fiber optic cable. I assume it was not harmed in the fire, but that cable is dedicated to a traffic­-management system and may not be available for leasing to communications companies wanting to restore service.

If poles and cables burn and utilities turn off power, it is obvious that small cells can’t survive, either. In fires such as these, the first responders that depend on cellular communications, including FirstNet, are going to be in trouble. 

Most cell companies have mobile sites that can be used in emergencies, as was done in these wildfires. Recent tests by cellular companies using direct cellphone to satellite communications may be another solution. 

Every time a disaster strikes, the aerial cable plant is the first communications network to be lost. Yet communications companies persist in building aerial cable plants because the initial installation cost is considerably less than underground construction. Is that wise, or just “penny-wise and pound foolish?”

You can see the news footage here

jim hayes | California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection