Like a Blow Torch. Rick Dickert Talks to A&G

Summary

Podcast Summary: Armstrong & Getty On Demand

Episode Title: Like a Blow Torch. Rick Dickert Talks to A&G
Release Date: January 14, 2025
Host/Author: iHeartPodcasts

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1. Introduction to the Wildfire Crisis

The episode opens with hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty discussing the rapid escalation of the Eaton Fire near Altadena and Pasadena. Armstrong recounts a doorbell camera video capturing the initial moments of the fire, highlighting the terrifying speed at which the fire spread:

Jack Armstrong [00:24]: "It's just crazy how fast that happened."

They emphasize the severity of the situation, noting the declaration of a PDS (Particularly Dangerous Situation) by the National Weather Service, underscoring the extreme danger posed by the wildfires.

2. Interview with Meteorologist Rick Dickert

a. Weather Conditions and Fire Dynamics

The hosts welcome Rick Dickert, a renowned meteorologist with extensive experience covering Southern California's weather events. Dickert provides an in-depth analysis of the atmospheric conditions that led to the unprecedented wildfire behavior:

Rick Dickert [02:36]: "This is the worst I have ever seen... it was so dry out there, it ignited homes well away from that major fire zone."

He explains how hurricane-force wind gusts, reaching up to 80 miles per hour, interacted with dry brush and forested areas to create a "firestorm." These winds acted like a "blowtorch," rapidly spreading the fires across the urban-wildland interface, particularly affecting iconic areas such as the Pacific Palisades, Altadena, Sierra Madre, and Malibu.

b. Impact on Communities

Dickert details the impact of the fires on nearby communities, describing how embers were carried over miles, igniting structures far from the main fire zones:

Rick Dickert [04:34]: "Those embers... ignited homes well away from that major fire zone."

He highlights the duration and intensity of the fires, noting that the Palisades fire began at 10:30 AM PST on Tuesday, while the Eaton Fire ignited shortly after 6 PM the same day. The combination of powerful winds and relentless dry conditions facilitated the rapid expansion of these fires.

c. Future Weather Predictions

Looking ahead, Dickert warns of continued hazardous weather conditions, including:

• Wind gusts between 45-70 mph
• Sustained winds of 39 mph, equivalent to tropical storm force
• Relative humidity levels dropping to 8-15%

These conditions are expected to maintain red flag warnings, indicating a high potential for explosive fire growth similar to the events of the previous week.

Rick Dickert [05:42]: "That is what’s going to produce the red flag conditions... the blowtorch effect."

d. Causes and Prevention of Wildfires

Dickert emphasizes that while weather conditions dramatically influence wildfire behavior, the initial ignition sources can vary. He mentions potential causes such as infrastructure failures, accidental ignitions, and arson:

Rick Dickert [06:00]: "A fire, these fires aren’t started by the weather, they’re driven by the weather."

He underscores the importance of rapid response and stringent measures to prevent sparks from igniting fires under such extreme conditions.

3. Hosts' Discussion and Analysis

a. Challenges in Firefighting

Following Dickert's insights, Armstrong and Getty discuss the immense difficulty in combating such swift and powerful wildfires. Armstrong references dramatic footage resembling CGI special effects, illustrating the surreal and devastating nature of the fires:

Jack Armstrong [04:07]: "It's like CGI special effects... No wonder it's been so difficult to fight."

Dickert adds to this by comparing the ember spread to a "machine gun," highlighting the unpredictability and rapidity with which embers can ignite new fires.

b. Critique of Governance and Infrastructure

The conversation shifts towards the role of governance in managing wildfire risks. The hosts critique California's governance, suggesting that systemic failures may have exacerbated the wildfire crisis:

Rick Dickert [08:16]: "There’s super quick response if it does. But with 100 mile per hour gusts... you're just screwed."

Armstrong cites a fire chief's grim assessment:

Jack Armstrong [09:10]: "We could have had every fire truck in America here last Thursday night and it wouldn't have made any difference."

This underscores the overwhelming scale of the disaster and the limitations of existing firefighting resources in the face of such extreme weather conditions.

c. Political Accountability

The hosts also discuss Governor Gavin Newsom's response to the wildfire crisis, highlighting his reluctance to assign blame:

Jack Armstrong [09:43]: "Gavin Newsom... said, 'Let’s stop with the finger pointing. I’m not interested in who’s to blame.'"

They express skepticism about this stance, suggesting that accountability is crucial for preventing future disasters.

4. Conclusion

The episode concludes with a reflection on the interplay between weather, human activity, and governance in the context of wildfires. The hosts reiterate the need for preparedness and robust infrastructure to mitigate the devastating effects of such natural disasters.

Rick Dickert [07:19]: "Stay safe out there, everybody."

Armstrong emphasizes the collective responsibility in addressing wildfire risks and the importance of effective leadership in managing and preventing future crises.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong [00:24]: "It's just crazy how fast that happened."
• Rick Dickert [02:36]: "This is the worst I have ever seen... it was so dry out there, it ignited homes well away from that major fire zone."
• Rick Dickert [05:42]: "That is what’s going to produce the red flag conditions... the blowtorch effect."
• Rick Dickert [08:16]: "There’s super quick response if it does. But with 100 mile per hour gusts... you're just screwed."
• Jack Armstrong [09:43]: "Gavin Newsom... said, 'Let’s stop with the finger pointing. I’m not interested in who’s to blame.'"

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This summary encapsulates the critical discussions and insights shared in the "Like a Blow Torch. Rick Dickert Talks to A&G" episode, providing a comprehensive overview for listeners seeking to understand the severity of the recent Southern California wildfires and the factors contributing to their rapid spread.

Transcript

[Jack Armstrong]

The Armstrong and Getty show. It was like a hurricane.

[Joe Getty]

Just fire, no water, but like 80 miles an hour. Plus it felt surreal.

[Jack Armstrong]

Is the fire like racing down the hill at that point?

[Rick Dickert]

Yeah, that's what's scary about this. It just was shooting like a blowtorch.

[Jack Armstrong]

Like a blowtorch.

[Rick Dickert]

It was literally just shooting off of the mountain, man.

[Jack Armstrong]

I just watched a video I hadn't seen. This doorbell camera captures early moments of the Eaton fire. That's the one up by Altadena and Pasadena. And these people. She was coming home from work and she saw a little orange glow off in the distance underneath the power lines. That's why they're now reporting. The LA Times is reporting that they think it started under the power lines, but it's got the minute by minute on here of how fast it went from tiny little fire to pretty big fire to holy crap. And they loaded up their car and got out of there. It. It's just crazy how fast that happened. And also I found the, the three letter warning for today. I don't know comes up with this stuff. They declared it a PDS for day particularly dangerous situation. Okay, that's like the official. And I guess when you declare something a pds, then all kinds of things happen.

[Rick Dickert]

Do we need that?

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know. It's what I wonder.

[Rick Dickert]

So. So I would say it's a pleasure to talk to our next guest and it is in a way, but it's a terrible, a terrible topic. Rick Dickard is a legend of LA media. Fox 11 Morning News, among other credits. For years, certified broadcast meteorologist heard many, many, many, many times on our beloved affiliate 790K ABC. And he joins us now. Rick, how are you, sir?

[Joe Getty]

I'm well, given what's happening here. Thank you for having me, Jack. Joe. And you mentioned the PDS and official term used by the National Weather Service to express the heightened risk of severe weather. And here it's a wildfire or the potential of more wildfires that they issue Those PDS is for severe weather, hurricanes, tornadoes. So this is an extreme situation and unfortunately we're looking at another powerful wind event. Not quite what we saw last Tuesday, but close to it in terms of wind velocities that are anticipated over the next 48 hours.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wow.

[Rick Dickert]

And I want to get to that in just a second. But first, can you describe to folks what the weather was like last week when the fires started, given your perspective of reporting on this sort of thing for years and years and I worked.

[Joe Getty]

In the broadcast media here in Southern California for 30 plus years, 20 of which I spent up in an airborne capacity in a helicopter covering these events, these wind driven events. This is the worst I have ever seen. And I was on the ground for this one. And essentially what happened dynamically in the atmosphere, things came together to produce these hurricane force wind gusts in those areas that we call the urban wildland interface here in Southern California. Two of which above Pacific Palisades, above that iconic shoreline. If you're on the east coast, you've seen it in pictures and movies of Malibu. And then the Eaton fire, above just to the north and northeast of the iconic Rose bowl and Colorado Boulevard where you see the Rose Parade every year. Those two areas, there was some sort of trigger in the wildland just above those communities, those two sparks happen. And then dynamically, meteorologically we have this powerful wind event that allowed that fire to spread. You heard what people in those areas said, like a blowtorch. It was a firestorm, 80 mile an hour wind gusts burning that chaparral, that forest land, those dry tinder, dry brush. We had months of no precipitation. Essentially here in Southern California, that brush caught fire, the winds ignited and that fire spread directly down into those communities. The Eaton Fire, Pasadena over towards Altadena, Sierra Madre, and then the Palisades fire, encompassing the Pacific Palisades area, even part of Santa Monica and then up the coast towards Malibu.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I thought I knew what these videos would be like when I started watching them. But some of the videos they had on 60 Minutes last night and some I saw this morning on my phone, it was so windy, it was like, it was like CGI special effects. I'd never seen anything like that anywhere. No wonder it's been so difficult to fight.

[Rick Dickert]

And it was like a machine gun of embers being shot over tremendous distances.

[Joe Getty]

Miles. Those embers, that ember cast and the ember intrusion as we call it, that gets caught up in the eaves of homes two miles away from the fire zone. Because it was so dry out there, it ignited homes well away from that major fire zone. And that's exactly what happened for a good 12 to 24 hour period after these two fires started. The Palisades fire started at 10:30am Pacific Standard Time on Tuesday. The Eaton fire above the Rose bowl, north and east of the Rose bowl and the Angeles National Fire that started shortly after 6pm on the same day. Worst case scenario with the weather in play and where those two fires ignited, allowing those fires to fanned by those dusty, powerful hurricane force wind gusts. Out of the north and northeast towards the south and southwest into those communities of Pacific Palisades, of Altadena and Sierra.

[Rick Dickert]

Madre, including bizarre fire behaviors, racing downhill, driven by the wind, which is something normally that doesn't happen. Rick Dickert, longtime meteorologist reporter in la, on the line. Rick, talk to us about what's expected this week, weather wise.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, again, we said at that PDS issued by the National Weather Service, heightened fire weather encompassing parts of Southern California, Ventura county, the Porter Ranch area, Simi Valley, San Fernando, the West Santa Monica Mountains. That's very close to the Palisades fire. From Pepperdine University over towards Point Mugu. Wind gusts again, not as strong as what we saw last Tuesday, but close to it. We're talking about wind gusts of 45-70 mph, a sustained wind of 39 miles an hour. That's tropical storm force. A sustained wind of 74 miles an hour. That is a Category 1 hurricane. Those wind gusts in addition to the relative humidity values of 8 to 15%, that's what's going to produce the red flag conditions. When a red flag warning is issued for Southern California, for watching and listening from other parts of the country, that means explosive fire growth potential. Just like what we saw last Tuesday into Wednesday, that blowtorch effect, you get that ignition and then the fire spreads. And I do want to mention Jack and Joe, that a fire, these fires aren't started by the weather, they're driven by the weather. There's some sort of ignition. It could be something in terms of our infrastructure. Unfortunately, there's arson. People start these fires accidentally. The trigger occurs, the atmospheric conditions are in play and that's what allow these fires to spread so rapidly and create the devastation that we've seen.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm really glad we had you on. What a great report. Nice job.

[Rick Dickert]

Yeah, terrific, Rick. We're big fans. I'm sorry it's under this circumstance that we talked to you, but fabulous job. I hope we can stay in touch.

[Joe Getty]

Absolutely. Stay safe out there, everybody. Thank you for having me.

[Jack Armstrong]

So it's interesting, he brings that up about the. Obviously the weather conditions don't start the fire, they spread the fire. David Spade, the actor, comedian, is offering $5,000 for anybody with information on the arsonists to start the fire. So clearly he's under the impression that some human being started this on purpose. Is, I've often wondered this with, with, with, you know, you start a, you go into a building and start that on fire. That's a, you know, specific thing. But the Starting a fire in an area that it catches on and then burns and burns and burns and burns, you gotta, you gotta be prepared for that. Whether it's an arsonist, a lightning strike, an electric breakdown, you gotta have some way to keep that from getting so out of control, don't you? The, you know, the forest management or having enough water in your fire hydrants to fight it or whatever. Because there's always going to be something.

[Rick Dickert]

Lawnmower sparked it or I don't think there is anything you can do to be ready for that weather after that long a drought and it getting sparked, you have to work like a maniac to make sure that in those conditions nothing gets sparked. And there's super quick response if it does. But with 100 mile per hour gusts, lots and lots of 75 mile per hour gusts, you're just screwed. Yeah, to, to summarize, although, and we've made this point a couple of times and it's worth making again because a particular aspect of this cannot be blamed on bad governance is no reason to not talk about the awful, awful governance of California la that was a contributor. Maybe it doesn't explain it, but it still be identified and rooted out.

[Jack Armstrong]

I wish I could remember where I heard some fire chief saying we could have had every fire truck in America here last Thursday night and it wouldn't have made any difference when it was gusting to 100 miles an hour. Which makes sense.

[Rick Dickert]

Well, yeah, the one gent I heard, I think it was on 60 Minutes pointed out that if they have a fully involved structure, they want three fire trucks there typically. And that there were as of when they interviewed him, something like 12,000 structures had burned. He said, do the math, there aren't that many fire trucks.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was trying to find the quote that man Gavin got beat up for on Friday was similar to what you're talking about. See if I can find it real quick. Oh, Gavin Newsom, he was. He did an interview on a liberal outlet which also got him some pushback. Like he didn't have the guts to go on where he was going to be challenged at all. He said, let's stop with the finger pointing. I'm not interested in who's to blame. Oh really? That's interesting because a lot of people are interested in who's to blame.

[Rick Dickert]

Like a lot of people with no homes are pretty interested in that. Yeah, yeah, that's funny. Gavin, a quick word from our friends at prize picks. It's playoff time. Oh, is it ever now or never. Don't Miss out on the last few weeks football action with Prize Picks the best place to win cash while watching the playoffs. You can now win up to a thousand times your money on Prize Picks.

[Jack Armstrong]

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[Rick Dickert]

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[Jack Armstrong]

So we can't play this enough today. Speaking to Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California. Here's. Here's my. My tiny little seminar I'm going to do for politicians. If you're ever asked the question, does the buck stop with you? Always say yes. There's no win in anything other than yes. And here you go.

[Joe Getty]

Does the buck stop with you?

[Rick Dickert]

I mean, hey, look, you're governor of California, will be the mayor of California.

[Jack Armstrong]

We're all in this together.

[Joe Getty]

We're all better off.

[Jack Armstrong]

We're all better off.

[Joe Getty]

We're all better off.

[Rick Dickert]

And we're working together to take care of people.

[Jack Armstrong]

What?

[Rick Dickert]

Wow. Obviously. Well, we know where Kamala Harris's speechwriters went to work, having been laid off.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, my God. That was a terrible job. Armstrong and Getty. Thank you, Adam. Thanks, Anna. We've got more on the way. Stay with us.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.