This is CBS, I on the world. I'm John Batchel. The Fires of Los Angeles. I welcome Professor Richard Epstein of the Kivitas Institute at the University of Texas, teaches law at NYU and the University of Chicago.

The comment on the fires of Los Angeles, lessons learned so far. Richard, a very good evening to you. The fundamentals are the two large fires, the Eaton fire

around Mount Wilson and the Palisades fire along the very expensive coastline remain unsolved

but in going in the right direction. However, it is time to examine how we got here.

If I understand the fundamentals, because there's been a lot of politics all week, the Palisades fire is a result of the infrastructure not responding to need.

The reservoir built in the Palisades some decades ago to answer a fire there along the coastline

was empty due repairs for the last year that more than anything else did not provide the water

the firemen needed in the first critical hours to stop the conflagration. The Santa and the winds are an annual event.

They can be up to 100 miles per hour.

There is evidence that that was the clock time in 1969, so there's nothing fresh about

this.

At the same time, those who say global warming contributed have a point. The drier and hotter

air that came in from the desert where it forms and blows out to sea is affected by global warming.

So it cannot be ruled out. The future, say the scientists are going to San Anandau winds, but drier and hotter,

meaning the conditions for the forest fires will remain intact.

Remember, what burns is the underbrush that builds up because there are rains in other parts of the year.

The very settled parts of Los Angeles are surrounded by hills filled with fuel for fires.

When that fire jumps into the residential area, you get catastrophes.

So a very good evening to you.

You have much to say about the fires and what is to be done.

Good evening to you.

Yes.

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