A young man from Pittsburg has had a front-row seat, both in terms of documenting the recent disastrous fires in Los Angeles and also as a volunteer, helping the community begin to recover.
Joe Andaloro, a Pittsburg High School and Pittsburg State University alumnus now lives in Hollywood, where he spent 11 years as a producer at the tabloid news organization TMZ, and most recently as a fully independent journalist on [email protected].
“It’s a community I’m very much familiar with, having covered Los Angeles news for 14 years,” Andaloro told PSU Collegio editor Joshua Smith. “Tuesday night, when the fires broke out, the evacuation zone was in the north end of Santa Monica, and I have some gripping video that I took and posted on my TikTok.”
Smith spoke at length with Andaloro last week. Following is a portion of Joshua Smith’s interview, published in the Collegio and used with permission:
“It did look very apocalyptic,” Andaloro said. “This area is known to have fires; we had the 2018 Woolsey fire in Malibu that was similar in magnitude. But this one was apocalyptic in the sense we had 70- to 100-mile-per-hour winds. It would’ve been national news that we had these hurricane-like winds but compounded with fires and the seemingly unpreparedness of the city, the devastation was catastrophic. The most interesting aspect I’ve seen is how the community has come together. The outreach of donations at centers that are community-organized has been inspiring to say the least.”
Andaloro volunteered at one of the community-organized donation centers. The center got such a great outpouring of support that some waited for two hours in line just to donate.
“That response center was 100 percent community-organized; in fact, it spread because of TikTok,” Andaloro said. “I was at that center; it was amazing to see how social media spread awareness. There was, at one point, a two-hour wait to donate because they were so overwhelmed. I lent a hand; it was tough work and it’s hot during the day.”
The image of “Hollywood elites” being the only people in the affected areas is inaccurate, Andaloro said. He points to Altadena where, according to the United States Census Bureau, the per capita income is $65.192, median gross rent is $2,250, and persons in poverty is 7.4 percent.
“There’s a misconception that all the areas burnt were just millionaire and billionaire properties,” Andaloro said. “There are people with nothing. Altadena is not an affluent area; there’s lower income housing impacted too.”
A cycle of a wet winter last year, to dry in the year since, set perfect conditions for this disaster, conditions that Andaloro says should have been telegraphed enough for Governor Newsom and other leaders to have set proper land management in place.
“The (government’s) response should be criticized in lack of preparedness,” Andaloro said. “It’s been drought-like conditions for a year. It’s obvious that we need better land management in terms of clearing out brush. We had a wet winter last year so there’s so much brush it’s like a tinder box. Many feel vulnerable that the state and the city didn’t act accordingly in terms of preparation. You would think we would have technology in place to prevent this devastation that wipes out entire communities.”
Andaloro is safe but still affected, even 25 miles away from the fires.
“I live 25 miles south of the fires and you can still smell the smoke,” Andaloro said. “You can write your name on the car from the ash. The air quality is the worst, as much as people want to be out and see things, unless you’re helping, people should stay inside as much as they can. Let first responders have the roads. Obviously, it’s a state of emergency.”
During any natural disaster there are fears of looting, but Andaloro says the military and police have everything under control.
“In terms of looting, you would have to be silly to do that, all the evacuation zones are guarded,” Andaloro said. “There’s police force in droves and National Guard guarding every orifice of these areas. We have a new district attorney who’s not messing around and there have been 20 plus arrests. Obviously, in a city with such a huge population, you’re gonna have this type of activity, but it’s mitigated. You’re not seeing images of people going and clearing out a storefront.”
Andaloro also reflected on his years in Pittsburg, where he moved when his mother, Dr. Ann Andaloro, became a professor at Pitt State.
“Best years of my life,” Andaloro said. “My mom (Dr. Ann Andaloro) got a job in Pittsburg, her first professorship in 1996, I was very involved with my mom’s department; she was a theater teacher, and she taught communication, broadcasting, and then I decided to go to Pittsburg State. I got my master’s there, too.
“I was an anchor on CAPS 13 and had my own show called ‘Country Cruising,’ where we went and highlighted local quirky attractions. I always wanted to work in Hollywood and my mentor, Comm Dept. Chair Dr. Cynthia Allan, urged me. After I did my thesis, I did a short film and she said, ‘you’re meant to go to Hollywood.’ Dr. Allan (recently) sent me valuable resources for artists and creators impacted by the fires. It shows that PSU professors have a vested interest in their students long after they graduate.”