Somini Sengupta, a climate reporter who has lived across Los Angeles, reflects on the city, its mythology and its reckoning ...

Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted last week and roared across the Los Angeles area.

At least 27 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires rage across Southern California.

Somini Sengupta, a Times climate reporter, on her relationship with the city, its mythology, and a reckoning with disaster.