For years, renowned fire experts Jack Cohen and Stephen Pyne have tried to shift the conversation on fire prevention strategies. This week’s destruction, they say, could have been minimized.

Multiple wildfires, including the Palisades Fire and Eaton Fire, are raging across Southern California Friday, leaving at least 10 dead and burning more than 10,000 homes across 27,000 acres, officials say.

Evacuees sought refuge and medical care at a Red Cross-run evacuation shelter at the Westwood Recreation Center in Los Angeles. Ivette Sedano sprayed water on her home, which was destroyed in the Eaton fire. In the hilly areas east and north of downtown off Sunset Boulevard, many homes were almost completely destroyed by the Palisades fire.