Table of contents for Saving LA in Sunset

Three months ago, the fires that ravaged Pacific Palisades and Altadena forever altered the lives and contours and communities of Los Angeles and yet again brought to the fore the risks and rewards of living in the West, a region that reasserts its wildness when we least expect it. This issue is a memorial, an homage, and the beginning of a blueprint to protect and revive the California dream, which in so many ways is the dream of the West writ large. We’ve gathered survivors, heroes, thought leaders, and people from all walks of life to speak to the pain and loss, share hope, and provide a path forward. But fires aren’t the only thing threatening the Western dream. And while we can’t control the wind or the heat, we…

All our angels have gone;This smoldering dawn, we soldier on;We’ve proved ourselves strong;Not from how badly we’ve burned;But how bravely we bond. Apocalypse does not mean ruin, but revelation;In devastation, this infernus has injured us,But it cannot endure us.Even in the surreal, we do not surrender.We emerge from the embers. The hardest partIs not disaster, but the afterScorched earth is where the heart hurts;What we restore first,Where we start the work. Today, we mourn,Tomorrow reborn;We end the burning,Befriend the hurting,Mend those who face the flame.We reclaim our city’s name;A revelation that only this place tells:To find our angels, all we need doIs look within ourselves. Amanda Gorman is the youngest presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history, an award-winning writer, and cum laude graduate of Harvard University. Her books Change Sings,…

It is no exaggeration to call Sam Laganà a pillar of the Palisades community. He’s been anointed as a Hometown Hero by the local CBS affiliate and a Neighborhood Hero by the Los Angeles City Council, but he’s best known for his voice. A Hall of Fame announcer of beach volleyball in its heyday, Laganà is the beloved public address announcer for the Los Angeles Rams, and he’s been the emcee of the Pacific Palisades Fourth of July Parade for 40 years and counting. He was at home when the Palisades Fire broke out on Jan. 7, 2025. Within days of the fires, Sam was back on the mic announcing that Rams home playoff game against Minnesota, which had been moved to Arizona. The Rams won. I was preparing for…

That headline might be stark, but it’s a reality for so many people who’ve lost their homes to fires in the West over the past decade or more. Architect Doug Burdge’s life and career have been shaped by the beauty and promises of Malibu—and by the wildfires that have come through the area for centuries. For more than three decades, he has lived and worked in this stunning coastal community, creating architecture that harmonizes with its natural beauty in some 300 homes and businesses. Along the way, Burdge has lost his own homes to fires and built homes for others who’ve lost theirs. His decades of learnings from loss have given him an intimate understanding of the risks and of the resilience and architectural intelligence required to live where fires…

“I drive on her streets because she is my companion. I walk through her hills because she knows who I am.” These words, sung by Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, encapsulate the unique, almost living relationship many Angelenos have with their city. Los Angeles is more than just a place—it’s a spirit, a presence, an identity that we, in turn, mold and are shaped by. To know her is to be swept into a world of complexities, contradictions, and, above all, a vibrant energy that rewards those who engage with her wholeheartedly. But Los Angeles is more than just its magnetic energy. The city is adorned with a rich and diverse architectural heritage that tells the story of her evolution and spirit. We see the fingerprints of…

Summer is on the horizon, and recovery efforts from the January wildfires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena are underway, making it even more important to prioritize responsible travel. While it’s natural to question if now is the best time to visit L.A., the majority of the city’s neighborhoods are safe, open, and ready to welcome visitors. And in fact, a trip can be a great way to support residents as they rebuild. “Much like the critical role the entertainment industry plays in L.A.’s economy, tourism is one of the most significant drivers of employment, local business sales, and tax dollars that provide essential services for all Angelenos, including public safety,” says Adam Burke, president and CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. “More than 540,000 Angelenos and 1,000…

“Aunty Wendy” Tuivaioge, a native Hawaiian and the director of Hawaiian programs at the Four Seasons Resort Maui, is a trained hula dancer and chanter who spearheads the resort’s weekly cultural activities. Having danced with Hālau O Ka Hanu Lehua since 2012, she teaches true hula (no coconut bras or grass skirts here!). Aunty Wendy helms the resort’s “Behind the Scenes of Hula” program, inviting guests to the practices of one of the state’s top competitive hula groups, Hālau o Ka Hanu Lehua. Here are her tips for visiting Maui with care: Just Go You can do all the research you want in advance of visiting a destination, but no research will do it justice. You’ll only know what a culture is when you’re there. You have to come and…

Celebrated Mexico City architect Michel Rojkind is no stranger to great design. His latest hotel project, the highly anticipated Banyan Tree Veya, Valle de Guadalupe, integrates luxury and well-being into the local Baja California landscape. Having spent plenty of time in this stunning south-of-the-border wine country over the years, Rojkind is the ideal expert to share some of his favorite spots. EAT Manzanilla is an iconic restaurant by Benito Molina and Solange Muris, and it’s a must-visit for its creative, seafood-centric dishes that highlight the flavors of Baja. The oysters and the signature smoked marlin tacos are unforgettable. Humo y Sal is a hidden gem that combines smoky flavors with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Its grilled octopus and wood-fired vegetables are excellent choices. Deckman’s is a true classic that embodies the…

We’ve been here before. Disaster. Resilience. Rebuilding. When the fires struck Los Angeles, here at Sunset we immediately thought of the seminal edition of the magazine published immediately following the devastating 1906 San Francisco earthquake. An illustration by the great Western artist Maynard Dixon entitled “Spirit of the City” featuring a woman boldly rising above the city on fire graces its cover. Despite the fact that their offices were destroyed, much of the city leveled, and one-sixth of it further destroyed by fire, the editors took it upon themselves to publish a slim eight-page pamphlet. Over the coming year, the editors went on to champion the reconstruction, celebrate the heroes, mourn the losses, and suggest best practices for building a better West in another three issues. But that first issue…

Salomón Huerta has been a fixture in the Los Angeles art community for decades. A native of the infamous Ramona Gardens housing projects in Boyle Heights, he took art classes at Pasadena City College and earned a bachelor’s in fine arts from ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena and a master’s at UCLA. He’s had solo shows in New York, Italy, Shanghai, Mexico City, and galleries across Southern California. Recently, he’s become renowned for his ethereal paintings of pools. Snapshot memories from when he was a teenager and would tag along to Malibu with his father, hoping to find work as a day laborer. He was often hired to clean backyard pools. Huerta is the anti-Hockney. Instead of the bleary-eyed ecstatic, what you see is sterility and stillness, but the…

Amber Lewis is an interior designer and author who grew up in Malibu. Known for her laidback, approachable, and definitively California style, she is the founder of her eponymous firm and owner of Shoppe Amber Interiors, which has an online store and brick-and-mortar boutiques, one of which was lost in the Palisades Fire. She and her team have started a Wildfire Relief Program, offering discounts and services to help people rebuild. When I was in high school, there was a terrible fire in 1993. A ton of my friends lost their homes. Then, of course, we had the Woolsey Fire in 2018. And our office is in Calabasas, so unfortunately, wildfires are something I’m used to. You can always tell when a fire is big because of the color and…

California has long been a beacon of culture and innovation, a place of invention and reinvention where people of every stratum come to live, work, build, and dream. We reached out to thought leaders across the spectrum to find out what they believe we can do better to preserve our communities, stay safe, support our businesses, and build better so we can survive and thrive. 1. Create Affordable, Inclusive Neighborhoods “The California I was born in was a place where artists, CEOs, tradespeople, and teachers all lived in the same neighborhood. Sure, some people’s houses were bigger, but what made our neighborhoods great was that they were mixed-income and inclusive. My dream for California is that we get back to where most communities have plentiful housing at the full range…

Like most Californians, fire-resistant home design is a topic of interest and fascination for me, regardless of the fact that I’ve never lived near a tinder-dry hillside or hard-to-reach canyon. Fires have always reshaped the landscape and threatened communities across the state, and I’ve watched them burn in horror from a safe distance. Unlike other natural disasters, like the random strikes of a tornado or the spontaneous jolt of an earthquake, I foolishly felt that “fire zones” could be avoided—as long as you didn’t build along a mountain ridge and lived tucked in among neighbors in densely populated, semi-urban communities. That false perception changed this January when the Eaton and Palisades Fires started to incinerate beloved, long-established neighborhoods on opposite sides of town, and evacuation warnings were issued from Malibu to…

For years, Rodolfo Barrientos’ food truck Gracias Señor was more than just a place to grab a meal in Pacific Palisades—it was a community staple. Locals knew his name, and he knew theirs. His tacos, made with hand-pressed tortillas, weren’t just food; they were a connection. But despite his popularity, Rodolfo found himself in the crosshairs of a powerful adversary: the Ralphs grocery store on Sunset Boulevard, which sued him and other food trucks and even sought a restraining order against them. Despite the challenges, Rodolfo remained steadfast. The attempt was ultimately denied and Rodolfo prevailed. “I didn’t pick the Palisades. The Palisades picked me,” he says. A decade ago, when he first started vending in the area, food trucks were not yet fully embraced by the community. Loncheras were…

BRITISH COLUMBIA It’s hard to turn a corner in Vancouver without stumbling upon one of Angus An’s restaurants. The chef and restaurateur currently operates four concepts with his group, Full House Hospitality: the Michelin Guide-recognized Maenam, a Thai-style noodle bar called Fat Mao Noodles, a modern street food eatery named Longtail Kitchen, and Granville Island’s Sen Pad Thai. An is also the operator and culinary director of Whistler’s hottest new Southeast Asian restaurant, Mekong. Here, he shares some of his favorite haunts in the booming city that’s been dubbed “Hollywood North” for the proliferation of film creatives that now call it home. EAT HK BBQ Master is the place most of my chef friends request to visit as soon as they get off the plane. Located just minutes away from YVR…

If you’re into the outdoors, chances are you’ve seen the dopamine-inducing psychedelic prints from Parks Project on the trails. The purpose-driven lifestyle brand is headed by Keith Eshelman, a passionate outdoorsman aiming to make habitat restoration and conservation both accessible and cool. Eshelman was formerly one of TOMS’ earliest employees and used that experience to get Parks Project into retailers like REI and Urban Outfitters, ultimately contributing $2.7 million to more than 50 park conservatories since its founding 10 years ago. Here, he shares insights on this month’s National Park Week, which runs from April 19 to 27, and on how the fires are a reminder of essential work that needs to be done. “ WE ALL HAVE TO CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOR TO SEE THE CHANGE IN THE WORLD WE…

Written in 1913 by Canadian immigrant Francis Silverwood (the owner of Silverwood’s Clothing Store in Downtown L.A.) and composed by Abraham Frankenstein (the director of the Orpheum Theater Orchestra), the song celebrates the state’s natural wonders and landmarks. According to the State of California Capitol Museum, while the song was under copyright, proceeds from the sale of the song went to charitable organizations. It was designated the state song in 1951, and given statutory recognition in 1988 after the copyright expired. The song and its iconic illustration are reminders of how fortunate we are as Californians to live in a beautiful state.  I. I love you, California, you’re the greatest state of all.I love you in the winter, summer, spring and in the fall.I love your fertile valleys; your dear…

Battalion Chief Sean Ketchum has been with the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as Cal Fire, since 2001. He’s worked on the ground as a firefighter, driven fire engines, and for the last 10 years, he’s been a front seat captain in a helitack crew. He works in a helicopter known as a Firehawk, which has the same basic frame as a military Black Hawk, but instead of weaponry, it’s loaded with firefighting equipment, including a 1,000-gallon water tank. He worked the night shift for two weeks during the Palisades Fire. He was in the air for five hours each night, and he was part of a team that turned the fire back when, after decimating the Palisades and parts of Malibu, it had spread east,…

Ultra athlete turned bestselling author and podcast star, Rich Roll, lives, works, and plays in the mountains of Malibu, where fire is a natural part of the ecosystem. He and his family have been forced to evacuate at least five times in the past seven years—a somewhat alarming ritual that has deepened their relationship with impermanence. Last January, as the Palisades Fire morphed and sprawled, chewing up parched chaparral from Mandeville Canyon to Saddle Peak, Rich and his family left their plant-based lasagna on the table, dirty dishes in the sink, and piled into their cars and fled to a Residence Inn. He had booked one night. They wouldn’t return home for weeks. Yet despite the risks, there is no other place he’d rather be. In the past, the fires…

I remember the first time I drove across the San Francisco Bay Bridge at night in my 1964 Karmann Ghia after driving across the country from the East Coast. Recently married in 1992, my wife and I wanted to start something new, so we chose California as our new home. I remember the feeling of the warm summer air (it was August) as it blew through the open windows in my non-air-conditioned little car. “Wow,” I thought. “I’m living in California now.” I imagine most people remember their California first time. First time driving down the Pacific Coast Highway and having Big Sur open up to you. The first dip in warm (Southern California!) ocean waters. The first trip to Yosemite. Tahoe. Eastern Sierra. Mono Lake. Mulholland Drive at twilight.…

It’s been twenty months since fires ravaged Lahaina and caused immeasurable loss of life and property. Today, tourism is still down some 20%, and the economy is struggling. We recently traveled to Maui to talk to locals, visit businesses, and learn from them about how to mindfully experience the island in a way that benefits locals. Visiting Hawaii with respect and spending your tourism dollars there can help fuel the economic recovery, but it’s essential to embrace the spirit of mālama—to care for and respect the land, culture, and people. Start by supporting local businesses: Dine at family-owned eateries, shop at craft fairs, and book eco-friendly tours guided by locals who share authentic knowledge of their homes. When exploring Hawaii’s natural wonders, stay on marked trails to protect fragile ecosystems,…

Born and raised in California, Emily Stacy brings that effortlessly sophisticated West Coast attitude to her multidisciplinary projects at Wool Design Studio. The mother of two is particularly passionate about creating beautiful custom furniture pieces that blend artistry with functionality. When she’s not in the workshop or art directing, she and her husband Tyler produce wine under their brand, Commune Regional Wines. Here, she shares her tips for what to do while in their home city of Sacramento, the vibrant capital located in the region’s agricultural heartland that’s undoubtedly amid a cultural renaissance. EAT For an authentic taste of France, head to Moonbelly Bakery, whose pastries and artisanal baked goods are crafted with care and tradition. They also host a delightful weekend storytime for kids with local librarians—a perfect family…