While many Angelenos have been devastated by the fires, others in the sprawling city have had to balance helping out with “normal life.”

Kellen Browning, a reporter based in San Francisco who has been covering the wildfires, was getting requests from evacuees, and he had a decision to make.

“There were too many houses to protect, and not enough engines,” one fire captain in Los Angeles said. Though fire officials say they were well-prepared and simply overwhelmed by the elements, questions are being raised about whether the intensity of modern fires requires a new playbook.