We're just going to have to ride this one out.

At this point we have to accept that we are in for a rough stretch. This doesn't mean we should give up, quite the opposite. This is the time to get serious about long-term planning and redouble our commitment to setting things right, but other than trying to minimize the damage, we have to accept that in the short term things are going to get ugly.

I'm talking, of course, about the fires in Southern California (what did you think I was talking about?). There is no serious rain in the forecast at least until early February. The tinder that fills our forests will only grow drier over the next couple of weeks while we continue to see warnings of Santa Anas. If we get through this winter without another major fire, it will be more luck than we deserve.

Perhaps the most maddening aspect of all of this is the missed opportunity. We just came off of two wet years. We had plenty of opportunities for aggressive controlled burns that could have been executed with minimal risk and would have significantly reduced the danger we now face. Now, any fire would be courting disaster.

The press has been less than worthless with institutions like the New York Times going all starry eyed and maudlin about the misfortunes of the rich and famous while badly misrepresenting the story, ignoring the people who actually lost everything (if you're spending more time on Pacific Palisades than on Altadena, you're part of the problem) and letting the real culprits off without even a harsh word.

Things are better in the northern part of the state where they have seen some pretty good rains this winter. If they are smart and responsible, the people in charge will be taking advantage of these conditions to set some good fires to clear out some of the fuel while they still have the opportunity.