Watching Home Burn from a Tesla in Las Vegas

Imagine this: a man in Las Vegas watches his home back in California burn down, all because of a wildfire. James Borow didn't just witness the destruction through neighbors or news reports. He saw it live on his Tesla's cameras. Talk about a remote disaster! Borow's family home in Pacific Palisades was engulfed in the Palisades Fire. His wife, Cristina, noticed smoke around 10:30 a. m. on Tuesday. By 8:30 p. m. , the house was gone. James, who was at the CES tech conference, switched on his Tesla's cameras and saw the flames spread fast. He had a front-row seat to the disaster, streaming live from his car parked outside the house. He saw the fire jump from one home to another, straight into his side yard and garage. It was a horrifying show no one would want to see.

James is livid. Their insurance was dropped by State Farm, and even though there's a fire station nearby, no trucks came to help. Water pressure issues made it hard for firefighters to use hydrants. USC professor Costas Synolakis says these need yearly checks. The family escaped with their lives, but that's about it. Their 5-year-old keeps asking to go home, which breaks James' heart. They've got some belongings, but it's not home. Insurance isn't covering much, and FEMA assistance was initially denied. Synolakis notes this isn't just a Los Angeles problem. We need better planning and evacuation systems statewide. Meanwhile, James and his family face an uncertain future, trying to start over with barely anything.

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