Just seven days into 2025, Southern California battled raging wildfires in the aftermath of devastating windstorms. Hurricane force winds measuring up to 100 mph ripped a swath of destruction through the Los Angeles area, causing sparks to fly and ignite dry vegetation into raging infernos. The LA wildfires grew exponentially larger by the hour, causing large scale evacuations from threatened areas and communities. By the end, over 57,000 acres were burned, an area roughly equivalent to 2,200 Alcatraz Islands or 500 Disneylands, or larger than Washington, D.C., according to Cal Fire. As we look back at this tragedy, our USC CEE faculty reflect on their personal experiences, lessons learned from this disaster, and how we can work together to improve disaster resilience in our beautiful City of Angels.