Some additional factors for differences between the Katrina and SoCal fires (I agree with most of the other factors identified)/

1. Major highways: There are only one East-West interstate (10/12) and 3 North-South (49, 55 and 55) leading from the NOLA area. And once you get out of the NOLA - Baton Rouge area they're all 4 lanes.

2. Distance to safety/shelter: Katrina evacuees had to go 50+ miles to seek shelter (most had to go 100+ miles).

3. Area/Infrastructure Affected: The fires affect a relatively limited area and infrastructure outside of the immediate areas is not affected. After Katrina, areas a far as 20 miles inland were devastated and infrastructure was damaged in areas more than 200 miles inland. (I live 120 miles from the MS gulf coast and my power was out for 5 days - some nearby areas didn't have power restored for 2 weeks.) Fuel here was in short supply for more than a month after landfall.

4. Leadership (Applies to LA only, MS did and is doing a pretty good job): What can one say about Ray Nagin that hasn't already been said (except why did they re-elect him???). Gov. Kathleen Blanco was a "deer in the headlights" for a week while the feds were asking her to ask for their help (States MUST request assistance from the FedGov - its a Constitutional issue and I agree with it) (and she has lost her re-election campaign). The LA Emergency Management Agency was no where to be seen and I don't know if it's really been seen since. Then there's Congressman William Jefferson, whose district includes the 9th ward, commandeering a National Guard 5-ton truck to save his personal belongings while the water was still rising (the FBI found the $90K in his freezer later) (yeah, they re-elected him, too!).