The first thing we noticed on Tuesday was the wind. From time to time, we experience "wind events" where geography and weather systems work together to create strong steady winds from the East, but from the start, we could tell that this one was different.
On Tuesday, those winds were particularly strong and something sparked. We could see the smoke around mid-morning and within hours, the fire had grown from a few acres to hundreds. Our office in Santa Monica is about six or seven miles from where the fire started, and the giant plumes of smoke made it clear that this was bad.
Fueled by those high winds, the fire spread rapidly, causing extensive damage throughout the area. The Pacific Palisades area has been hit particularly hard, with hundreds of homes destroyed. Fortunately, the Coeur team is safe, but the immediate family of one of our teammates has been directly impacted by this disaster. Our prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragedy.
We could see the smoke, just over the hill from Coeur
The flames lit up the night and gave off an eerie glow
Thousands of people have evacuated, and we had our earthquake Go Bags ready
Now that the scope of the damage is becoming clear, we're just devastated. It hurts our hearts to not only hear about and see the fire damage but, for some reason, it's particularly painful to recognize the names of areas where we had so much joy riding our road and mountain bikes over the years. Places like Latigo Canyon, Topanga Canyon, and the beautiful PCH highway. In the grand scheme of things, seeing your favorite biking routes impacted isn't nearly as important as the damages to homes and businesses, but the memories we’ve made on those rides are deeply cherished, and seeing this destruction is profoundly saddening.
We want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to the first responders who have been working tirelessly to contain the fire and protect lives. To the brave Cal Fire crews, police officers, Emergency Medical Service employees, and Sheriff deputies—thank you for your dedication and heroic efforts in the face of such overwhelming challenges.
Cal Fire making a drop on the Palisades Fire
We are keeping everyone impacted by these fires in our thoughts and prayers. This is a heartbreaking time for many, but the outpouring of support has been truly inspiring. To those who have reached out to check on us and ask how you can help—thank you! Your kindness and generosity mean more than we can say.
It’s in times like these that we’re reminded once again of why community matters and we can't say thank you enough to the Coeur Community!