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Southern California fire official reflects on helping Spokane, Washington, respond to devastating fires

WBUR
Published August 11, 2026 at 12:10 PM EDT
A street sign shows sign of fire damage as a person walks their dog after a wildfire hit the northern part of Spokane, Wash., Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (Lindsey Wasson/AP)
Lindsey Wasson/AP
A street sign shows sign of fire damage as a person walks their dog after a wildfire hit the northern part of Spokane, Wash., Monday, Aug. 3, 2026. (Lindsey Wasson/AP)

Host Indira Lakshmanan speaks with Tom Clemo, a deputy fire chief from the Santa Monica Fire Department in Southern California, who is in Spokane, Washington, this week helping with the community’s wildfire response.

He talks about lessons learned when it comes to evacuations and rebuilding, 18 months after the devastating Palisades and Eaton Fires in Los Angeles County.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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