Above: the Skirball Fire on December 6, shortly after it started. Photo credit: Bd1983.
Earlier last week, we spoke with David Marcus, campus business manager at de Toledo High School in Los Angeles. "With five major fires, close to 100,000 acres burning, and only 5 percent containment, we and everyone else including parents and employees are affected by it," he said. "UCLA is closed, people are walking around with face masks — it's kind of surreal." The Skirball fire shut down part of the 405 freeway, a major artery in the city, and consequently many independent schools around it have evacuated. Fueled by high winds and dry conditions, several major blazes are still far from contained.
Collaborative efforts among independent schools in the area include convening via webinar to discuss which institutions are in need of assistance and which can help, according to Marcus. The schools met in similar fashion in October to assist northern California schools following widespread fires in that region and then realized they needed to pool resources closer to home. "What happens if everything is burning?" asked Marcus.
