An earlier version of this piece originally appeared in the Too Much TV newsletter.
It's been an incredibly challenging five years for Hollywood's working class. There has been a pandemic, dual strikes, productions moving into other states and overseas, and now the impact of massive wildfires in the greater Los Angeles area.
It's still way too early to have a clear idea of how many people employed in the entertainment industry will be directly impacted by the fires—in part because many of the wildfires are still a long way from being contained. But I think that some range of the high hundreds is probably a good estimate. However, by the time these fires are finally under control, that number could be much higher.
The next couple of years are going to be incredibly tough for them. It's not just the expected issues such as somehow replacing everything from clothes to housing. Or the very real frustrations of dealing with insurance companies and local bureaucrats. Los Angeles already had an expensive and tight housing market and now thousands of people are going to be looking for a place to live. Prices are likely to soar and that will impact everyone either renting or looking to buy a home.
And when it's time to rebuild, there are going to be a dizzying number of challenges. Existing zoning and environmental laws make any kind of development difficult. And given that some of the areas most impacted included homes that can't be rebuilt the same way under existing rules, well, it's going to be contentious.
Then there are long-term impacts of the wildfires. Higher insurance costs (assuming they can get it at all), the increased dangers of mudslides due to the destruction of the undergrowth on hills, and the economic impact as the result of businesses who decide not to reopen because the residents haven't been able to return.
There is just a wide variety of issues that are going to crop up during the rebuild. Before the wildfire, it was a challenge to find experienced contractors. Imagine how difficult it's going to be to find an honest contractor when there are also hundreds of well-financed celebrities competing for the same help. And if there is indeed a crackdown on undocumented workers, the size of the workforce is going to be even more reduced.
And let's not forget the personal challenges. If you have kids, they've now not just lost their house. But also their school and church. Their friends are scattered to the winds and even if everyone returns to the old neighborhood, it's going to be years before things return to some sort of normal.
And some things will never get better. Twenty years from now, you'll remember the loss of some random family keepsake or favorite photo and will feel the hole in your heart that is as fresh as the day it happened. There is an emotional cost to a wildfire that is difficult to define unless you've gone through it.
At some point, a lot of impacted people are going to look around and say, "I love my job, I love this area. But my family needs a fresh start. My kids need stability. And maybe we can get that in Atlanta, or Denver, or New Mexico." They'll be weary of fighting the insurance companies and wondering if they can even afford to rebuild. And as much as they love the old neighborhood, a part of them will wonder if being reminded every day of what they've lost is only slowly crushing their soul. So they'll load up the moving van and head off to make new memories.
I plan to write more about this in the coming weeks. But I will say that while I appreciate the financial support being offered up by the various studios and media companies, I would like to see them come together to create a task force dedicated to rebuilding the affected parts of the area and ensure their employees can continue to live and work in California. That means using their legal teams to push local municipalities and the state to pass new laws and guidelines to make it easier to rebuild and expand the housing supply for the future.
It's relatively easy for Hollywood's executives to write a big check or two. But they need to take on the more complex task of providing political cover for their employees. If the Trump administration decides to limit recovery aid or attach some culture war-based restrictions to the money, big entertainment can provide the pushback that the average worker can't think of accomplishing.
We're in a time when worker cynicism in the entertainment industry is at an all-time high - and to be honest, that's for some very good reasons. But this is the time for Hollywood's CEOs to step up.
Hollywood is facing an extinction-level problem unless the industry comes together to protect its workers.
