In Los Angeles County, with 4,058 square miles of land (more than Delaware and Rhode Island combined) at least ten people have died, and more than 10,000 structures have burned and hundreds of thousands of residents are under evacuation orders in what will be the costliest wildfire disaster in American history. Lenders and mortgage servicers doing business in California have implemented policies and procedures in dealing with borrowers, lending, inspections, and fundings, given FEMA’s response, disaster declaration, and financial assistance. Assistance and shelter reconstruction are what is needed, not finger pointing. But on X, Elon Musk suggested that the fires were spreading due to the city fire chief’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion policies, and president-elect Trump is discussing policies and politics regarding water and smelt. I personally know several people impacted directly or through their families; help is needed, not blame. Of course, replacing or repairing existing housing stock doesn’t help new housing numbers, or inventory levels. Human lives, obviously, are irreplaceable. (Today’s podcast can be found here and this week’s is sponsored by CoreLogic. CoreLogic gives mortgage professionals the tools they need to establish long-term relationships with their clients, helping them keep future business in-house and transforming the way they do business. Hear an interview with attorney Brian Levy on the waning days of Director Rohit Chopra’s tenure in charge of the CFPB.)