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On Tuesday, January 7, 2025, a brush fire – dubbed the Palisades Fire since it started along Palisades Drive – broke out in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, just a few miles from my home. This wasn't a unique occurrence; brush fires happen around Los Angeles every year, and there have been small fires in Pacific Palisades before. But conditions conspired to grow the Palisades Fire in a way I've never seen in the nearly 25 years I have lived in the area.

The dreaded mistake

You're at an agility trial with your dog. You point to the tunnel, but they go over the jump next to it instead. You're pretty sure you called out the right word, and that your body language was solid, but your dog went to the wrong obstacle anyway.

So what do you do? You go back to the club. You practice a lot with jumps and tunnels next to each other. You drill yourself to ensure you say the right word and move the right way. And everything goes GREAT… until your next trial. This time, your dog goes over the A-frame instead of through the weave poles. Different specifics, but you're off course again.