You're listening to Bill Handle on demand from KFI AM six forty and now Handle on the news. Ladies and gentlemen, here's Bill Handle.
All right? Do I start with good morning?
Yeah?
I think so. I think because it was better than yesterday morning. The better morning here on a Thursday, January ninth, Bill Handle and the morning crew on KFI. And I want to tell you something in a minute. It just occurred to me, and as I was watching TV last night.
First let me say.
Hello, And there you are on a Thursday morning. Good morning, Good morning, Amy is still Thursday.
Good morning, Good morning Bill in your Disneyland.
Sweatshirt.
You know, there's a time.
As much as I hate fires, but there's a time, you know, I sometimes wish that a fire would go through your closet.
Wow, you know what I was.
I was putting my go bag together last night.
Yes, I was Disney memorabile. Allow.
I understand Kelly was thinking about him, like what should I take? Should I take my Disney Spirit jerseys?
Of course you should in them.
And let's not to forget the mouse ears.
I did not pack mouse ears anyway.
So I wish this was TV.
So every day we'll see a different outfit than Amy wears that has Disneyland or Disney you're mickey on it.
I did not wear Disney yesterday.
Oh that's right, you didn't.
Okay, all right, Neil, good morning, Good morning, Willie Wolf and Kno good morning.
All right. So, as I just mentioned television, of course today we're going to talk about the fires, naturally, because that is the big news.
You know, last night I watch ABC News.
You know, ninety percent of the news coverage last night was the fires.
It can a big deal, Bill it is.
You know, it's a bigger deal than I thought it was, because you don't give a crap about anything that doesn't affect you personally.
Yeah, but that's besides the point, or maybe that is the point.
Your pants would have to be on fire for you to go, let's cover this.
Yeah, probably, But I was.
And you know David Muir who is the host of ABC, they flew him in so he anchored.
From the fire one of the fire areas, and.
The reporters, the national reporters were there and I knew it was a big story. I knew it was covered internationally, but it was. It is a bigger story than I anticipated. The same thing. With the death of Kobe, I didn't quite get how big a story it was, And going way back the death of Frank Sinatra, it's much bigger. I was in Norway at the time. By the way, if you remember when Frank Sinatra died.
How could we remember that you were in Norway when Frank Sinatra died.
Because it's all about me in this case, the dead Frank Sinatra. Because I was on vacation and all of a sudden, Frank Sinatra is about to die. And David Hall, our previous program director, said, get to a radio station. Your show is on. You're gonna host the show because it's such a big deal. So I went to their national radio station and it was these big Soviet blocks buildings,
you know, those big staliness, solid concrete buildings. There was the radio one was built in the thirties, and then the television one that was built in the fifties looked just like it. And so I'm sitting there broadcasting just a quick story. I'm sitting there broadcasting and the engineer, this woman who they l speak perfect English, said do you know where you're sitting, big cavernous room, in this big desk with a microphone in front of it. Do
you know where you're sitting? And I said, no, that is exactly the spot where Quizzling announced the puppet government under Nazi Germany at the start of World War One, I started World War Two. I went, whoa, you know how a history not? I am wow?
And it was I went out of my mind. Okay, that's just where were you?
Norway?
Oh I see wow?
All right, now a quick story about us our coverage, and I generally try not to blow our horn, as you know, saying oh, we're great, We're terrific. Oh, we're just bitching people here. But as I was watching television last night and I channeled surf, I go through all the local stations to see what's going on and how
it's being covered. I noticed that the coverage was basically the same, you know, announcing the fier arey, here's a weather report, reporters out on the field, walking along, Look at the building behind me, look at this, look down the street, interviewing someone. I've lost everything and it's heartbreaking. I mean to see someone that's actually lost, but that's the coverage. And then I think in this often happens where I'm jealous of television because there's a lot of
visual that we can't and don't use. I mean, the theater of the mind is a wonderful thing. And I like radio far more than I like television, not only having done television. It's a complete waste of time. In my opinion, it's not you. It's a producer talking in your IU D in the ear. You know where the ID.
It's not an IUD in your ear?
Oh okay, so whatever the hell it is I FB yeah, okay, I was close. So in any case, you're it's not you. It's some producer telling you what to say. And so I get jealous of the coverage because they have the visuals. And then I think of, here's what we do. For example, today we're going to have the PR communications officer at the pacaday in the Humane Society and get into not just you can donate, you can have your animal be dropped off, but get into the story.
Uh.
The same thing with Joel Larsguard. We're gonna have him today about insurance issues, what's going on. They don't do that on television. They do the quick, dirty story, Boom, you're done. But here's your visual. And that's what I love about what we do. And this one, this one, I'm gonna blow our horn and say that's what makes during times like this, that that's what makes it worth listening. Uh, today we're gonna get Jim Keiney on who is going to talk about the medical aspects of the pollutants.
And uh, well they just call him Jim Kenney. You know he works for a living. Why don't you call him doctor Keeney.
Oh, because we've been on such friend you know, basis of a friendship for so long. Okay, we're going to talk to doctor Jim, the doctor Jim Keeney. Okay, he's a doctor, doctor, he's a doctor doctor. And uh, we're gonna have h Well, the pastor of Humane Society. We have a connection a big one here. Uh do you remember our previous aim JJL Amy plus about eighty pounds, was with us and she was well connected.
By the way, JJL is fine with that. Okay, she lost.
About eighty five and she's looking absolutely great and it's no longer going to be jj L. It's JJ you know.
And we still have that connection to pass the passa humane because she has passed the leash to me and now I do the wiggle waggon.
Yeah, yeah, I was about to say that, say so we maintain a very very good connection, and she started and Amy, thank you, Amy for beating me to the punch, but Amy continues it. So there is there's kind of a neat connection we have. And then we're going to spend a real long time ripping at least a segment ripping into Karen Bass, who was in Ghana while this was going on, and well, really, Mayor, what were you doing in Ghana? And she answered, she went, you know,
that's uh they speak. That's one of the.
She's fluent in that language. You know, I do you know what? I love the La Times. They were writing a story about that, which we'll get into. But they said, while ever present on social media, and I'm like, you know, she was in Ghana and I kept thinking, bull crap, that wasn't her on social media? Some lackey is posting general information on her you know, X account or whatever it was. And they were like, while ever present from far away, No, she wasn't.
She Whiz people, let's go ahead and take a break, and we're going to get into unfortunately, the news and I guess it's relatively good that this massive explosion moving at eighty miles an hour, the fire is a little bit better. Correct me if I'm wrong on this one, but I think we're saying light at the end of the tunnel, too much light. But I think we're doing that. Amy.
I'm going to throw it to you for the latest in terms of the hard facts, that is the number of acres burned, evacuations, and what's going.
On beyond the last night.
Okay, so we are expecting an update at eight o'clock, so we're expecting these numbers to change. But what we have is active fire zero percent surrounded in Palisades, still burning, more than seventeen thousand acres burned, over one hundred thousand evacuated, and about a thousand structures have burned.
We're talking about.
Homes, schools, businesses, restaurants, churches, you name it.
Maybe I'm a little bit more optimistic because those numbers have not really changed very much in terms of the thousand structures that I was listening to last night. But it could be that we're going to get a big, big update.
Exactly, we don't know until they give us an update, and again they haven't given updates on any of the fire since yesterday, So as you mentioned, when they do, because yesterday we went from dozens up to a thousand right for the Palisades fire, So that's that one. In the fire that's burning in Altadena near Pasadena, it's ten thoy six hundred acres, about seventy thousand people evacuated, and there are varying numbers, but the latest we've seen is
nine hundred and seventy two structures destroyed. And in the Pasadena Water District they're seeing don't drink the water bottled water only. It's not even a boil order. It's bottled water only because of contamination from the fires. The Hurst fire in Silmar, that's the one that's burning north of the two ten and east of the just or south of the five fifty sorry five fourteen interchange. That one's
burned about eight hundred and fifty five acres. There are evacuation orders, but no reports of any buildings home structures being burned at the point. And this is something we haven't seen on any of these fires that are raging out of control. Ten percent surrounded at this point, so firefighters are actually making some headway on that one in of course, the sunset fire that broke out last night
about five point thirty. That's the one that was in the run In Canyon area and quickly spread to almost fifty acres. Lots of evacuations were ordered, people got out, clogged streets, it was a mess. But most of the evacuation orders have now been lifted and the water dropping helicopters really made a difference in that one and we're able to stop it from spreading into neighborhoods.
Yeah, a couple of things. When we were on the air yesterday, we would have you during when daylight hours said we had no idea of the extent of the fire other than sort of a guess this is the fire department, because they really didn't know how many structures because the aircraft weren't in the air well yesterday, I think towards the end of the afternoon aircraft were able to go in the air and so we are going to get.
A much better idea.
Also, and yesterday looking at Instagram of high end or celebrities names that you recognize who have lost their homes, and that list is extraordinary and I can't tell you how many people who have contacted me, texted me, who in fact have evacuated? I had an hour with my shrink yesterday. I usually do a zoom call with my psychologist. What a shocker that have a therapist, right, Neil?
Only an hour?
Yeah? At only an hour? And Neil, I don't know if Neil and who have known probably for almost thirty years, there's ever been a moment that I didn't have a therapist, neurotic jew all that stuff. Anyway, she had evacuated and she really no place to go, so she went into a humane Seltzer shelter. So I was doing my therapy with her and there were horses in the background and dogs moving around. Let me tell you how pleasant that was.
How could she not own her own island at this point? Being your shrink? Yeah, the amount of time and money spent. I mean, seriously, she should have a small country by now.
Yeah. It's it's really very depressing, very depressing. I mean it's uh, it's and I do it twice a week Tuesdays and Thursdays. Tuesdays, I hate my mother when I have sex with the dog, and then on Thursday it's just the reverse. Okay, enough of that, fort there's something.
About Oedipus Rex in there.
Oh yeah with the dog literally, yeah, okay, Uh.
In any case, Uh, we're gonna get somewhat of an idea. But amy based on what I said and what I have seen, and you guys have been at it all night, Neil and Cobalt and Conway and Moe did five hours last night. I mean, it's kind of crazy. Do I have it right where? It's sort of the the It has turned a corner, not so much containment, but in terms of the raging wildfires that were moving at one hundred miles an hour down the hills.
Well, not necessarily. Okay, the winds have died down considerably. We are still expecting some gusty winds. But if you saw a picture of the fire that's burning above Altadena, they Eaton Canyon fire. There was a whole hillside in the dark of night, and it looked like street lights dotting the hillside, but it wasn't. It was fires. I mean, so fire is still burning, actively burning, and houses are still being destroyed.
I got a text yesterday today. I was supposed to have a meeting with a couple of management folks at KFI and got a text from one of them saying, I can't make it to the meeting. I lost my house in the Palisades and I don't know what to do. And it's, I mean, absolutely heartbreaking. We'll be getting a lot of that.
There is.
Lindsay's cousin who had built their dream house. She and her husband had built their dream house in Malibu. It burnt to the ground, so they built it again, and we don't know if it's around and do you build it a third time? And at some point you say, yeah, I don't think so when do you walk away? And we're not talking about a shack on silts in the Louisiana Bayou that takes you three days to put together. Either.
It's the devastation is it's tough, it really is to.
See that, and the not knowing is really difficult.
My brother's an architectural photographer and he's been working on a house that's in the Palisades for a year where they're documenting the construction because this is some really wall house and so he's been working on it. Actually it's been a couple of years that they go and they photograph it as it's being built, and they said, we don't know if it's even still there, and so it'll be interesting to see.
You know, I think you have a false sense of it mellowing out right now because the winds are not as insane.
Yeah, and maybe you're right.
I've got seven cameras in front or seven TVs in front of me, and there is no dearth of.
Fire footage live right now.
And you know all the la USD schools are closed, You've got smoke, horrible air quality.
I don't think it's over. No, I know it's not over.
I mean, that's granted, But as I'm here, I am an unusually optimistic and that I think we're at a different point than we were yesterday. We won't know. You may be right, Amy may be right, and when the press conference comes in at eight am this morning, we may just shake our heads and just wonder at how quickly and how much more devastation, how much more blittering of homes and businesses, there are we are in the
midst of historical incident here in southern California. Last night I was watching national news in ABC specifically last night, ninety percent of the broadcast was of these fires. Extraordinary with US Fred Fielding, who is the LA Fire Department Public Service Public Information officer. Fred. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. I would like you to comment on a couple of statements that were made yesterday through the various agents. Do I have that wrong? Oh?
I'm sorry? What am I talking about? I'm already I'm already an hour and a half, an hour ahead of us. You know, here's the problem, And I'm not going to blame myself. You know, Chris Berry, who is our management interimped walked in the studio and he started talking to me, and he knows how easily I am distracted. So this is Chris's fault, not mine.
All right, Okay, why don't we go back?
I'm sorry, I was looking up at the rundown again.
My fault. Cono, stop looking at me this way?
Please? What do you mean?
You know?
You don't look at me like a I'm a complete moron? I mean.
Yeah. And your paper that Anna prepares for you, you do nothing. You just have to read it and look pretty.
Thursday, January ninth, twenty twenty five. Hi, I'm Bill Handle.
This is KFI. He's actually reading athetic.
All right.
When he jokes he has to read.
Two Jews walk into a bar. Okay, let's uh just continue on.
He has cute cards for when he's loved making ooh ah, Bobby baby.
Sorry, misread that.
All right, back we go more handle on the news. Sorry about that, everybody, Amy and me, Neil. So let's let's go through a couple of things that we still have to cover. One of those is the number of people that are without power in southern California. Hundreds of thousands people without power, Amy, do we have some geography on that.
We do, and we have numbers for you.
So three hundred and twelve thousand of those are so Cal Edison customers, nine LADWP customers, thirty six hundred Glendale Water and Power customers, and fifteen hundred of them are Pasadena Water and Power portions of the city like Pacific Palisades, Hollywood Hills. They had power intentionally turned off during the firefight. Other areas, including throughout the San Fernando Valley where a friend of mine has had her power out for like two full days at least, have also been affected.
I tell you hundreds of thousands of people without power, and I have people that I know it's now what three days no power? My daughter, who is has no power, went to her roommate's cousin who is in Manhattan Beach, and she called me last night she said, I'm on my way, and she got there and she took her two dogs, the big Kendall and Vinnie. I mean those are two like seventy five pound dogs who went down there, and she says, now I can get some food because
there's just there's been no power at my place. So whether they're not alone, and the problem is no one can of course tell us they have no power because there's no power, and they don't have any juice left on their phones because there's no power to charge their phones, and it is a mess.
Backup batteries, do you know?
There are and I can't remember the name right now, but it's about the size of a credit card. It could fit in your wallet. And there emergency chargers for your phone. They're in my go bag, they're in you know there. It really is not difficult to back yourself up. You can find other ones that will charge your phone with a double a battery.
Huh See, I didn't know that. I just keep my phone charged. It makes sense. So if anybody just contact Neil and he'll tell you where to go on that. Oh by oh, I'm sorry you can't contact Neil because you have no power and you have no batteries.
That's right, Well, then, who they're not listening to us? Then they are because they have their hand crank radios.
Which you used growing up.
Not even gonna go there, covered wagon, I am not even going to go there, all right.
Cruise continued to battle of fires all over the south Land, including Hollywood Hills, and they knocked down the Studio City fire, thank god, that was a structure fire. And then we saw the solar drive there in Hollywood Hills shortly after five point thirty.
You've been hearing Amy King talk.
About that, that they had sixty acres or so, and the chaos that ensued in these very narrow streets that are throughout the Hollywood Hills was insane. And to see it completely blocked off, that's when we actually started getting the most. My wife and I started getting the most texts and people calling because they heard there was these massive traffic jams throughout Sunset and the like.
Because of that.
We heard, I mean, you can imagine the authorities driving down or moving down the side of a road and telling people get out of your cars, abandon your cars and start walking or running down the hill while they're trying to get first responders up and everything is blocked. I mean, well, a lot of this fire is unprecedented in terms of its size, scope, its effects.
It's just it's Shannon Fairn referred to it as generational, and I think she's spot on there that this is not something that you're going to see again. This is a big generational event.
It's described. We hear this on the news, we hear this, We hear us talking about the dystopian post apoc, post pop, post apoc elliptic. Oh see, it wasn't spelled correctly, and you didn't put that word right on my board.
Watching your face try to defecate that word out of your mouth was the weirdest thing I've ever seen.
Thank you.
It was a poke a to see you do it exactly.
Okay, this is why I have a rough time being hired outside of the station.
Okay.
Mayor Bass is back, and she's come back to a literal and political firestorm. She left on Saturday to head to Ghana part of a presidential delegation, and Saturday is when the National Weather Service really started ratcheting up its warnings about the windstorm and the potentially devastating, deadly windstorm that they were warning about. And on Tuesday, when the worst of the fires were starting, she was attending the
inauguration of Ghana's new president. She returned to Lax got off the plane and there's a video of a sky News or border just peppering her with questions, Madam mayor, have you absolutely nothing to say about the citizens today who are dealing with this disaster? Madam Mayor should you have been here, Madam Mayor do you regret not being in La when this devastation was hitting?
She didn't answer, she didn't look at him.
She got real violent. She was going to get hit pretty hard by this one. You know, at seven o'clock we're going to talk about more about But keep in mind someone becomes mayor, they're on an airplane visiting, for example, sister cities. You know, LA has more sister cities of which the mayor travels all over the world than a fundamentalist Mormon family. It's all sister cities out there and inaugurations.
And let me ask you, why would the mayor of Los.
Angeles go to an inauguration of a Gananian or Ghanian president. Where is the connection?
What does that have to do with our world?
Stay here, fill the potholes, make it safe, and make sure that we have what we need for firefighters.
Yeah, we're going to rip into her seven o'clock legitimately.
And it's not so much.
As she even going there, because that's just the political Those are just political.
Fun junkets that elected officials get.
So why should she get to have political fun junkets.
Because that's what they do. Because that's what they do, she should way.
Well, she was wrong in terms of not anticipating what was happening because it was called for a couple of days. She should have been an airplane two days.
Before or a day before.
But on top of that, she cut the funding of the fire department.
Yeah, and that.
Is Boy, there's some answers that we're going to need on that one. All right, that's coming up at seven point fifty.
All right.
Uber Lift, they are offering free rides to evacuated wildfire residents in southern California.
Here, so.
The shelter locations valid for free uber rides or the Pastina Civic Auditorium, Westwood Recreation Center, El Camino Real Charter High School and Richie Valence Recreation Center, and they are giving you the ability if you register to get a free Uber ride up to forty dollars by applying the promo code wild Fire twenty five in the wallet section of their Uber app.
Yeah lift up to twenty five dollars. Both of them are giving free rides, which is neat good for them. Frankly, I would take Uber because it give you more money.
You can stop off and pick some things up on the way, just.
On the way, and it's good for them, good for them coming to the table.
People can get themselves out right when an evacuation order comes, you know what to do. Pets are a different story and they need her help, our help, and Pasadena Humane is one of the shelters who's helping.
They've opened up.
They're one of the small animal shelters where people can take their animals. And we talked to Kevin McManus this morning and they have taken in three hundred and fifty animals and he said the animals that came in yesterday are the ones who may have been left behind, the ones who got lost and maybe they got scared and took off and they're coming in with burn injuries, but they're taking care of them and that's what we're doing. Pasadena Humane.
Does we have a connection, Amy who now leads the Wiggle Waggle Google Google Popolympicalypicic that we do every year for the Pasadena Humane Society. So we're going to be talking to Kevin McManus, who is the communications director.
And that's at seven thirty.
All right, this is KFI AM six forty live on KFI AM six forty.
You've been listening to Wake Up Call with me Amy King.
You can always hear wake Up Call five to six am Monday through Friday on KFI AM six forty and anytime on demand on the iHeartRadio app.