Conan, Sona, and Matt Discuss the LA Fires

0:21Hello, welcome to Conan O 'Brien Needs a Friend. And it is a massive understatement to say this is a special episode or a unique episode. We are doing this episode without any guest. This is the first time we've all been together since the wildfires broke out. And there's a lot to discuss and to process. we don't usually do this but I'm just going to say the date it's Thursday January 16th 2025 fires broke out I believe it was a week and two days ago right Tuesday night I think it started Tuesday afternoon and then got worse and worse and worse throughout the day and we've all had our own experiences but really we have to start by acknowledging that, Sona, you lost your house.

1:27Yeah. And there, you know. I thought I would last longer before I started crying. Yeah. Well, listen, this is the. I really thought I was like, keep it together. Well, you don't have to keep it together. You don't have to keep it together. There's, you know, you and I have texted a lot and talked some on the phone, but words just seem so stupid when somebody lost their home. It's not stupid. It means a lot when you check in and just everybody texting. I haven't been able to even respond. There's people who've texted that I haven't even talked to in years. It feels really good at a time like this to feel like people are thinking about you.

2:12Yeah. So it's nice. So don't downplay it. Let's lead with, let's lead with Tack, your husband, your, is, is, and your boys. My boys. Mikey and Charlie. What do Mikey and Charlie know? Do they know anything? They don't have a clue about what's going on. They think, they think we, we told them, we, you know, there's always this like, oh, you should be honest with your kids and tell them. And we're like, no, we're just not going to tell them that their house burned down. And I think that that's probably the, for us, the right thing to do. I gave them emails when they were babies. So I emailed their future selves.

2:52And I said, this is what happened to this house that you were born. You came into when you were first born in the first three and a half years of your life. But they think we're just living somewhere else until we build a house. And they're really into construction. So like Mikey's like, I'll drive the cement mixer and Charlie can drive the excavator. and it's like, you're not going to build it. And so they're not going to find out about their old house till they're 18 and get the email? Well, I don't know about 18. How old are they now? They're three and a half? They're three and a half. And they're, honestly, we're living with my parents right now.

3:28They're getting toys every day. I don't think they've ever been happier. Because people are just, everyone's saying, oh my God, the boys, the boys, the poor boys. And they're just, they just know. I mean, I used to think this way about snowstorms when I was a kid, I was just good news. And the people, it didn't matter what happened to anyone else. If school was canceled. So in their perspective, all they know is there's going to be some fun construction. Yeah. And they get to build the house. Yeah. Yeah. Which I think you should let them do. Okay. They can get licensed. And I don't think they can.

4:02I think they can. But can I ask, and again, I'm not, I just, how these things unfold is such a mystery. I know that for all of us, I was here working on Tuesday. We weren't podcasting, but I was meeting with writers and we were talking about the Oscars and we were working on that with that team. And I got a phone call from my wife saying, well, there's some smoke. And I remember thinking, well, we've been through this before. We've been evacuated. There's also been smoke and we haven't been evacuated. So there's very much a, it's part of life in LA. And so I wasn't thinking that much about it.

4:42And then the next thing I know, she was like, we've been evacuated. And so I went from here to, you know, whatever, we went to a hotel and I went to sleep that night thinking, cause we live in the Palisades. And I just remember thinking, I'm pretty sure that our house will go. And it did not. But just the number of people I've heard from, people I know personally who lost houses is stunning. It's crazy. And I know you're in Altadena. And it must be the same thing where it's not just you. You must know so many people. It's our entire street. Our whole neighborhood has just been just destroyed. It's hard for me to look at pictures.

5:41It looks really almost apocalyptic. There's just nothing there. And we've been talking to all our neighbors. Everyone's okay. But we really loved that community. And it's, it's really sad that it's all gone. I think that's the thing too, is that you're, you're really sad for other people who also lost their houses. And so you just, you all kind of like commiserate together. I'm on a group with like 70 other people from Altadena on a WhatsApp group. And we're all talking about what the next steps are. So that's keeping us busy, but you're right. It's just the number of people I know who lost their homes is, I mean, it's like, it's just unthinkable.

6:28It's, it's, it's crazy. But thankfully we, everybody that we reached out to is safe somewhere. So that's, that's important, but it is, oh, it sucks. Is there anything, I'm, is there anything that you're doing now that at least helps you feel like you can take steps like I don't know what the process of we've been I've been locked out of we've been no one gets close to our neighborhood I don't know when we'll get back to our neighborhood but you've got this other consideration of okay what are the steps involved meaning yeah do you with insurance claims things like that what we put in an insurance claim it's all this stuff and people are sending us so much stuff about property taxes about you know what you could do with your mortgage payments, about signing up for FEMA, signing up for this, signing up for that.

7:20And it's, I think I just, I want my kids to go back to their school, which is fine. The school's okay. Yeah. Tax back at work. I'm back. I want like normalcy. And then we'll probably end up having to rent a house for a while. And then, you know, figuring it out. It's just, there's like a thousand questions. It's crazy how many. Yeah. And you can't process it all at once. No, you can't. And that's the thing. It's just there's so much to do. And, you know, I don't like doing anything. And now I have to, like, fill out forms. Right. And I have to think about things. Especially in the state you're in.

7:55I can't imagine having to do that stuff that's already awful. But sometimes is that helpful to engage in like, OK, this is a tangible thing I can do that gets us to the next step rather than just sit and think about, perseverate, worry about what's happened. It's just so much stuff to think. I mean, also, I realized I'm not good under pressure. We saw the flames from the ridge near our house. And we had a friend whose husband works in the LAFD, and she's like, you should probably just evacuate. But everything was moving east, and we're west. And then all of a sudden, at 3.30, when we were at my mom's house, there was an evacuation order for our area.

8:38And then my alarm company called around 6. and they're like, the sensors in the living room and in the master are picking up movement. And I thought, oh, can you tell if it's a person or what is it? And she's like, we can't tell. And I asked her, I was like, are they flames? And she didn't know. And then we just, I hung up and I was like, I think my house is currently on fire. And it was, I was just sitting in my car, just like sobbing. And I was like, oh, my God, my my house is on fire. And then my parents house got evacuated. And so Tack and I were like I and I like grabbed Charlie and Mikey out of the bed and I just put him in and I'm like, let's just drive south.

9:22I don't know where we're going. So we went to Orange County and we just stayed there through Sunday and we made the boys think we were on vacation. And so we were like me this great video of them on the beach. Yeah. Just having a wonderful time. your boys having a blast. Yeah. They're just totally clueless, which is nice. It's nice to be around them because they have no idea what's going on. And I think they're one of five. They're two of where we're one of five families in their school that all lost their homes. So, you know, it's going to be interesting for them to go back to school. And I hope people don't treat them any different.

9:57You know, we want to just sort of keep things the same. I just want to fast forward to six months from now where like I look back on all the stuff and I'm like, it's OK. It's all just stuff. And then, you know, but can I ask, did you have a chance before you left your house? Did you have a chance to get anything? I took some stuff. I took like the very important like family heirloom jewelry. I took my grandma's ice bucket, which is like it's not just you can get it on eBay. It's not like it's not a special ice bucket. I went back in and got my Crocs. One of them. I got one of my Crocs. I just wanted one of them.

10:37I really like the left Croc.

10:42But you got some heirlooms. We got some heirlooms, but there's a lot of things I think about that are gone, and that makes me really sad. I had a personalized Kobe autograph picture that's gone. That's right. He was on our Tonight Show. Yeah. And I remembered I introduced you to him and said, this is your number one fan, and he was so nice to you. He was really nice. And he signed an autograph for me and my brother. And then when we met Jimmy Carter and he signed the photo, I had that one, that's gone. There's just a lot of little things that are, nothing I can't live without, but I don't want to, I just, I really miss that stuff.

11:19And it's, and also it's weird. When we were in Orange County, we like packed up our stuff and we're like, everything we own is just in our car right now. And that's a very weird thing to think about that, like all of your possessions, everything that is something that you you you've accumulated over the last 40 years, they're all gone. And all you have left is whatever is in this van. And it's just it's just really sad. I think, too, there's a mantra everyone has now, which is correct, which is, oh, it's just stuff. And as long as we're OK and as long as my family's OK. And that's true. But you also have to acknowledge it's a loss.

11:57it's a loss because there it's not so much the stuff itself. It's what it signifies. It's the memories. And, um, you have to process that. You can't skip over, you know, we're all okay. You can't skip right to that and stay there because, um, you are going to feel all these things. I know. And it, it, it's weird. It does feel like you're kind of grieving and you realize like, I mean, I wish I took, like I had a bin full of the boys, like first three years, like little things that I wanted to keep forever. and that's gone. But, you know, and then you're like holding out. Maybe we'll go back and like we'll find things that we like in the rubble of whatever's left and we'll just like find something and just be really happy that things still exist.

12:40So we're also waiting when we can go back. I mean, the National Guard is everywhere. And so we can't go to our house and, you know, the air quality sucks and everything's just ash. But, you know, I think the fires are still burning. That's the crazy. Oh, yeah. You know what? It's 55 % contained. They are. And what Palisades is 22 % or something as of today? Yeah. Contained. That's it. Yeah. The thing is, and this is, I was telling Blay about this yesterday. Me and Erica Brown went shopping. And like the third, because I need a whole new, I need all new things, everything new. And we went and it kind of like was brought up when I was checking out somewhere that my house was gone.

13:24And she's like, oh, we give a 20 % discount to victims of the fire. And me and Erica were like, we have to call all the stores we just went to. Do you give a 20 % discount? But then it's awkward because you go to a store and you're just like, my house burned down.

13:44Also, do you need to, they want you to prove that? Yeah. How do you do that? I have a piece of roof that I keep in my wallet. I mean, I don't know what the hell they're talking about. Well, then sometimes, but also it's like an awkward thing to bring up. It's like, hi, how are you doing? It's like, my house burned down. Do I get a discount? Yeah, usually it's like you get a free birthday meal at Denny's and you just show your ID. I know. And then Erica was like, stop saying your house burned down. Say you were displaced by the fire. She just wanted me to use a different wording. No, I think burned down gets you the discount.

14:19I mean, I've been displaced. Me too. I do not deserve a 20 % discount. Can you imagine me going around, I've been displaced. I have to live in a pretty nice hotel. And so I demand the 20 % off. Sir, this is a frozen yogurt establishment. Sir, you're buying a Rolex. I don't want to pay full price. And it's Patek Philippe to you, sir. No, it's it's it's it's just absolute fucking craziness. It's just nuts to just like go around just being like, hi. So the other stores are giving discounts. Like, can I get a discount here when my house burned down? And at first it was like, you know, it's hard to say, oh, my house burned down.

15:07I would cry every single time. And then I just like got to a point where I was like, hi, my house burned down. What kind of discounts you got for me? Yeah. What if you're doing that five years from now when you live in a beautiful new home and you're thriving and you've written like your third bestselling book and you pull up in a BMW, hey, house burned down. I'm getting some unleaded gas. Looking at the price. What's the snob 20 off that? When did your house burn? Five years ago. Oh, I also won the lottery last week. Oh my God. No, but it's, it's, man, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's been very hard to process.

15:57I, I don't know about you, but it's also just, well, I'm going to switch to you for a minute, Gourley, because, you know, I know that you were in, there was a while there where I was pretty certain, oh, Pasadena, I don't think that looks good. And I know your house, I just thought, is this going to get you too? And I guess you, it didn't get to you, the fire. Is that right? No, we were very lucky. We got really close to the evac warning zone and it was heading down the arroyo. So we did pack and leave, but that's all. I mean, we just, we were - Are you back in your house now? I am. The girls are still down at Momo's in Long Beach where the air is clean.

16:37I know. Because that's the other thing is this talk about the air quality index being okay, but that doesn't account for certain leads and asbestos toxins in the air and stuff. So I don't know. I wear a mask outside my house, even though it's blue skies and there's ash and everything. Right. It's just weird. Did you guys did you guys pack? And I couldn't. I was here. I was. You couldn't be bothered. I was. Yeah, I couldn't be bothered. I was like, don't I have people to do these things? No, I got a call from Liza, my wife at work. And she said, okay, they told us we got to go. And I said, okay.

17:13She said, I'm just going to grab like two T-shirts, two pairs of socks, two pairs of whatever, a pair of jeans. I said, great. She said, do you need me to take anything else? And I said, just grab the E.B. White letter off the wall, which is this letter that I, when I was 16, I wrote E.B. White a letter about how much I admired his writing. and how I aspired to try and make something of myself, but I was afraid of criticism because I'm thin-skinned. And he wrote me back this beautiful note and it's signed E.B. White. It says, P.S., if a fire happens, take this. Take this, yeah. And so that's kind of, I said, grab that, but I didn't think about anything else.

18:00And I don't know why I get into, and I think I've always been this way. I think I was, you know, I can channel when I first moved out to LA and I had a, on Cochran Avenue, had a$380 a month apartment and a 1977 Isuzu Opal that I bought at the airport for no money. And I just always channel like, yep, I've been there before and I was really happy and I just have this kind of, if I, if that, whatever. If whatever something happens, I'm not going to get another Isuzu Hope. No. And I'm sorry. You'll never get to that height again.

18:44But very, I don't know, I get it on almost very calm about that and the material world and things like that. But then I also know if the reality came, there's my perception of how I would feel. And then how would I really feel if that had happened? and we got really close. I mean, it was right up to our line of our house. And then you just, I don't know. I could easily be here saying we don't have our house. And like I say, a lot of spoken to many of my friends who lost their homes. And so I don't know. You can't know how you would feel if that happened. So I have, you know, the possible illusion that I would say, well, it's just stuff.

19:33But no, I'm sure I would be devastated and emotional for a lot of reasons. But it's just it's such a confusing time. And obviously, it's just what can we all do for people? If only I knew someone who had lost their. Oh, right. You were mentioning. No, but like I'm saying is what, you know, that's the question is how can what can we do for you? You know, you're loved. You've got all of us here. I'm money aside. Oh, and money. I need money, money and lots. Can I live in your house? Can we all come live in your house? Can I just say the parameters first? Oh, money aside, food aside, clothing aside.

20:18Oh, love and affection aside. Love and affection aside. Sheltering you in any way at any one of my 19 mansions scattered. Any further contact aside. Yeah. Is there anything I can do for you? and also I'm letting you go. Oh no! Is this a bad time? No, bad time! I mean, you might as well pull off the band-aid. Come on, Goro! The band-aid's mostly torn off. Let's go the rest of the way. I need this, I know, I'm like, am I not, am I? I had to make a decision. You were Gorley and he does so much in the editing. I've worked for you for so long! Yeah, Albert! Code and Fire Sona on podcasts where she talks about losing her home.

21:01I'm looking forward to that headline. Oh, I am really glad your house is, because the Palisades is also very, very scary. Yeah. And I really was worried you were going to lose it. And I know you're not attached to the things in your house, like you're saying that you are, but I'm very attached to the things in your house. And I think also if you lost yours, it would overshadow mine a lot. So in a way, I'm like just really happy that you're okay. I'm going to have mine destroyed. It makes you feel better. This is the ultimate I get to talk last thing that you guys do. Yeah, I know. Oh, so you say you lost your house, did you?

21:39Well, guess what? Oh, my God. My leg kind of hurts. So I think I win. Well, you are. It's funny because people, I think, I hope it comes through, but this is a real relationship. Yeah. You and I have been, I mean, Gourley, I don't barely know the guy. I mean, I wouldn't even hear it say that about myself. Johnny come lately. Yeah. Icy to the touch. Well, if you just touched me once, maybe you'd know. Dad, rubbing that icicle. But, you know, you've got us, and we will all help you in any way we can. Thank you. And I do think that this is, there's no way to fast forward through this. it's going to be a day-to-day thing for you for quite a while.

22:31I do. I do. I know we talked about Altadena a lot and we talked, we joked about it a lot, but it was, it is a really special place. It was an incredible place to raise my kids. And I just, I hope, I hope we find a way to get back there. Even after all this, I just, um, no, I've lived in LA my whole life and I was just, that's the happiest I've ever been. Right. So I just want to make sure people know it's a really incredible place. It's an incredible community. The people there are just amazing. The way that also Los Angeles is just banded together is as someone who is from here and girls, I know you're from here, too.

23:12It's really inspiring. It's beautiful. It's it's uplifting. There's just little bright spots in all of this shittiness and, you know, the way the city. So many people have risen to the challenge and been remarkably generous and human. And I lived in New York during 9-11, and I'm seeing the same thing again, where people ask each other, you know, how are you doing? How are you? Where do you live? Are you okay? And had that conversation this morning at Bricks and Scones, which is the coffee place right next to us. It's just, you just start asking people, how are you? Where do you live? Are you all right?

23:52Are you okay? And it does, these things do bring sometimes the worst out of people, but often the best out of people. And I was remembering we, you know, the last time we did our Outdoor Chill Chumps podcast was from Sona's backyard in Altadena, which is a really nice memory. and what I remember most is what a great time we had but also that your neighbors came by you had neighbors coming by to say hi Austin's, yeah and and it there's a vibrant community there that I think is resilient and can come back yeah I mean it's easy for me to say but I do think there's I think there's such a will to bring that city back It's not just a faceless city.

24:45Yeah. You've seen so many people talk about how much they love Altadena. And I think that they are the city. So the houses may be gone, but they'll bring them back and they'll keep the city. When I heard you lost your house, I just felt like desperate to do something for you. It's so hard to know how much to offer to people in this situation because you feel they must be bombarded with this. Are they being overloaded? overloaded, but anything you would ever need, I think people, all your friends would be desperate to help you guys in any way. You know what? I am going to, we were really lucky where our family is here.

25:23They're all in LA. We had no shortage of places to go, which is very, uh, we're very fortunate for that. There's a lot of people who don't have anything and don't have any connections. And I think before people think about sending stuff to us, I think you should definitely look into people who really need it. Like the boys have more underwear than they've ever had before. They've had they have more socks. I can't stress how many toys they have now. I think they just think that that's their life now. Every day a package comes and there's more toys and they're just like, this is the best. We're living at Yaya's house.

26:00They're like just eating. she's feeding them constantly they're eating they're having more screen time and watching more tv than they ever have before like so they're they're happy we're we're happy if they're happy so we're we're okay i mean is there i mean that's the other thing too is we could find out and plug it in but if there's a charity or there's a place that makes sense um one thing i found that's been very helpful is there's a database of the least funded gofundmes for individual families yes and so you can find the people that need help. My wife has been on to this and I shut it down because I was like, I was thinking of taking up golf and I want to buy those golf.

26:42No. Oh my God. I like a guy who doesn't even. Your true colors are showing. What are you doing? Are you donating money to people that really need it? I set the clock the minute this happened at like how soon. It's possible I could one day play golf. At which time, clubs would need to be procured. No, she, found that and it's amazing. It's easily findable, I think. Well, obviously it can get sensitive. What's the right, where's the right place to give money, if you can give money or to donate. And we need to be sensitive about that. We will do research. We'll, maybe in the links that connect to this episode, give some suggestions.

27:26But there are so many different ways. Uh-oh, what happened? The links that connect to this episode is just... It's cute. It's cute. It's just going to be in the summary of the episode. Yeah, also links are connections to the episode. It's okay. It's okay. It's not your fault. It's fine. It's not your fault. This is a different episode. Yeah. It's okay. It's fine. We should have given you a script. Anytime links are mentioned, we should just tell you exactly how to say it. And that's on us. I think the burn I just suffered Oh my God Is every bit as bad As the one that attacked your home There'll be links connected to this episode To donate to Conan If you want to I think now after the way I was just attacked For okay Maybe am I fluent in this new techno world New Of the last 40 years Maybe not Techno world But I've now been humiliated and I feel I deserve compensation.